Père-Lachaise: Paris's largest cemetery and its surprising Polish connections

Père-Lachaise cemetery was established in 1804 by Seine prefect Nicolas Frochot to address a serious sanitary crisis caused by overcrowded parish cemeteries in Paris. Its name comes from Father François de la Chaise, a 17th-century Jesuit confessor to King Louis XIV who managed the hillside estate. Today it is the largest cemetery within Paris city limits, drawing millions of visitors a year, and holds a notable Polish connection among its famous burials.

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