Anglais

The Old Cemetery of Béziers was opened in 1812 designed as a Mediterranean garden with terraces planted with cypress trees. An extension was made in 1863, making it total area almost 5 hectares.

The cemetery coincided with the golden age of winemaking that made Béziers rich and prosperous.

To make their stay in the afterlife as comfortable and luxurious as possible, the famous, wealthy and aristocratic inhabitants of Béziers called on the services of an architect, a contractor and a designer to construct their graves, with the same attention to detail as if they were building their home.

It is important to note, the link between the country castles, city private mansions and the tombs in the cemetery, as often, the same craftsmen were involved in these design and constructions.

Many of the tombs feature sculptures by Béziers artists Antonin Injalbert, Jean Magrou, Louis Paul and Jacques Villeneuve. These ‘works of art’ are often more ornamental and symbolic rather than purely Christian and funerary. This makes the cemetery an exceptional, if curious, open-air museum.