Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde is
buried in
Père Lachaise Cemetery,
Paris, France, Europe. (Also buried here are Jim
Morrison and the French poet Paul Eluard.)
Oscar Wilde's Grave complete with
graffiti
Whilst in Reading Gaol Wilde received an ear injury which was
not properly treated. Late in 1900 he developed further infections which led to meningitis, and his
subsequent death at the age of 46.
He died penniless and alone in a Paris hotel. On
his deathbed he converted to Catholicism. By becoming a catholic he enacted one of
his well known witticisms: The Church of England is the best to live in, but the
Catholic Church is the best to die in. He is also reputed to have
said, on being presented with an expensive medical bill, ' I suppose
that I will have to die beyond my means'. He was
originally buried in the Bagneaux Cemetery but his remains were moved to Père
Lachaise - the French National Cemetery - on July 19, 1909. However, the famous
tomb, sculpted by Jacob Epstein was not added until 1914. It is now
visited by hundreds of thousands of visitors each year - many of whom
are gay men who come to pay their respects. The tomb is covered in
lipstick kisses. The ashes of
Robert Ross (a former lover) are also buried in the tomb. |
