If you walk through the 12th arrondissement of Paris, away from the glittering lights of the Eiffel Tower, you’ll find a plain wooden door at 35 Rue de Picpus. Behind it lies a place that feels strangely like Virginia or Pennsylvania. It’s the Picpus Cemetery. This is where the Marquis de Lafayette grave sits, and honestly, it’s one of the most unusual spots in France. It isn't just a French monument. Technically, and emotionally, it’s American ground.
Lafayette died in 1834. He was 76. By then, he had lived through enough drama for ten lifetimes—fighting in the American Revolution, surviving the French Revolution, and spending years in a Prussian prison. But when he knew the end was coming, he made a very specific request. He wanted to be buried in soil from the United States. Specifically, soil from Bunker Hill in Boston. His son, Georges Washington Lafayette, literally brought crates of dirt across the Atlantic so his father could lie beneath the earth he fought to free.
The Secret History of Picpus Cemetery
You can't just talk about the grave without talking about the ground it’s in. Picpus is a private cemetery. It’s tiny. It’s also the site of a mass grave from the Reign of Terror. During the height of the French Revolution, the guillotine was moved to the nearby Place de la Nation. In just a few weeks, over 1,300 people were executed. Their bodies were tossed into two large pits in what was then a garden.
Lafayette’s wife, Adrienne, lost her mother, grandmother, and sister to that guillotine. They are in those pits. Because of that, Adrienne spent years tracking down the location and eventually helped establish the cemetery so the victims could be honored. She’s buried right next to him. When you visit the Marquis de Lafayette grave, you’re standing just a few yards away from a site of incredible revolutionary trauma. It’s heavy. It’s quiet. It feels tucked away from the rest of the world.
🔗 Read more: Seeing is Believing: What The Starling Atlanta Midtown Curio Collection by Hilton Photos Don't Tell You
Why the American Flag Never Stops Flying
Here is a detail that surprises a lot of people: an American flag has flown over Lafayette’s grave since the mid-1800s.
Even during the Nazi occupation of Paris in World War II, that flag stayed up. There is a persistent legend that the German soldiers left it alone out of a weird respect for Lafayette’s military status, or perhaps it just wasn't worth the trouble of a diplomatic incident with a site so deeply tied to the "Hero of Two Worlds." Regardless, it is one of the few places in Europe where the Stars and Stripes has flown continuously for nearly two centuries.
Every year on the Fourth of July, a ceremony takes place here. The U.S. Ambassador to France and members of the Daughters of the American Revolution show up. They replace the flag. It’s a very formal, very "old world" meeting of two cultures. If you’re a history nerd, seeing a fresh American flag waving over a 19th-century French tomb in the middle of a crowded Parisian neighborhood is a bit of a trip.
Getting to the Marquis de Lafayette Grave
Most tourists miss this. They go to Père Lachaise to see Jim Morrison or Oscar Wilde. But Picpus is different. It’s private, so the hours are weird. Usually, it’s only open in the afternoons, roughly 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM, and they charge a small fee—usually a few euros—to help with the upkeep.
📖 Related: How Far Is Peachtree City From Atlanta? It Depends On Who You Ask
- Take the Metro. Line 1, 2, 6, or 9 to the Nation station.
- Walk down Rue de Picpus.
- Look for the unassuming door at number 35.
- Check the sign on the door. If it's closed, it's closed. There's no gift shop. No cafe. Just history.
Once you’re inside, you walk through a small chapel. It’s dedicated to the victims of the guillotine. Their names are carved into the walls. It’s a sobering reminder that while Lafayette is celebrated as a hero of liberty, the French version of that struggle was incredibly messy and violent. After the chapel, you head out to the gardens. The grave is in the far back corner.
What Most People Get Wrong About His Burial
People often assume Lafayette was "exiled" or that he died unpopular. Not really. While his politics were complicated in France—he was a monarchist who loved republics, which made him enemies on both sides—he was a rockstar. When he visited the U.S. in 1824, it was basically a year-long party. Towns were named after him. Fayetteville? That's him. Lagrange? His estate.
When he died, the U.S. Congress draped their chambers in black for thirty days. That’s the kind of mourning usually reserved for Presidents. The decision to be buried in American soil wasn't a political stunt. It was a genuine expression of where his heart was. He once said, "I am an American citizen," and he meant it legally. Virginia, Maryland, and several other states had granted him citizenship back in the 1780s.
The Physical State of the Grave
Don't expect a massive marble pyramid. It’s a flat, horizontal tombstone. It’s covered in inscriptions in Latin and French. Over the years, the stone has weathered, but it's well-maintained. You’ll often see small mementos left by visitors—coins, small flags, or flowers.
💡 You might also like: How to actually combine Hotels.com gift cards without losing your mind
The soil from Bunker Hill is underneath the stone, mixed with the local French earth. It’s a literal blend of the two countries he helped shape. There is something deeply poetic about that. He didn't want a monument in Washington D.C. (though he has plenty). He wanted to be in Paris, with his wife, under American dirt.
Why You Should Actually Go
If you’re tired of the "Disney" version of Paris, this is the antidote. It’s silent. You can hear the wind in the trees and the distant sound of traffic, but the walls of the cemetery are high enough to block out the modern city. It’s a place for reflection.
You start to realize that the "special relationship" between France and America isn't just a talking point for politicians. It’s rooted in individuals like Lafayette who genuinely believed in an idea of liberty that crossed oceans. Standing at the Marquis de Lafayette grave makes that history feel tangible. It’s not a textbook chapter. It’s a plot of land with a flag and a lot of old dirt.
Actionable Insights for History Travelers
- Check the schedule twice. Picpus is closed on Sunday mornings and most holidays. If you show up at 10:00 AM, you’ll be staring at a locked wooden door.
- Bring cash. The entrance fee is small, but they don't always have a card reader that works.
- Respect the silence. This is a functioning cemetery and a site of a mass grave. It’s not the place for loud group photos or TikTok dances.
- Visit the "Mur des Suppliciés." Before you leave, make sure to see the wall where the names of the 1,306 people executed in 1794 are listed. It provides the necessary context for why the Lafayette family chose this specific, somber location.
- Combine it with Place de la Nation. Walk to the square afterward. It’s where the executions actually happened. Seeing the distance between the "death site" and the "burial site" gives you a sense of the grim processions that took place during the Terror.
Lafayette's life was defined by movement—crossing the Atlantic, leading armies, escaping prisons. His grave is the opposite. It’s a fixed point of stillness that bridges two continents. Whether you're an American looking for a piece of home in Paris or a history buff tracking the roots of modern democracy, this small corner of the 12th arrondissement is essential.
Next Steps for Your Visit
To make the most of your trip, download a map of the 12th arrondissement and save the location of Picpus Cemetery as a custom pin. Research the "Lafayette Farewell Tour of 1824" before you go; understanding the massive scale of his popularity in America makes standing at his relatively humble grave in Paris much more impactful. Finally, ensure you arrive at least one hour before the posted closing time, as the gates sometimes close early if there are few visitors.