Eglantine

This shot probably shows reasonably well how the cemetery of Monaco is constructed on many different levels - in fact, many more than you see here. And each level is named after a plant or flower, making it easier for visitors to find a particular grave.

Josephine Baker 1906 - 1975

Above, you see part of the grave of the Josephine Baker, which she shares with her fourth husband, the orchestra director, Jo Bouillon. Singer, entertainer, civil rights activist, humanitarian, Josephine Baker was easily the most successful black woman of her time . Born Freda Carson into poverty in St. Louis, Missouri, her ticket out was her comedic and dance abilities, which powered her rise to early American fame on Broadway. Tiring of performing in demeaning minstrel reviews, she jumped at the chance of a career in Paris where the Jazz Age fuelled heady interest in the then sensual and exotic African-American culture. She was known as the girl 'who danced her way through the 20s and 30s dressed in bananas.' (Click on THIS LINK to see a YouTube performance).

Josephine Baker was very close to the Principality of Monaco. After she was bankrupted, following the badly handled management of her well-known estate in the Dordogne, where her 'Rainbow Tribe, the 12 multi-ethnic children she had adopted, used to live. She sought to prove that children of different ethnicities and religions could be brothers. She was helped by Princess Grace of Monaco, who offered her a life-long accommodation in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and invited her on several occasions to take part in charity performances. A moving anecdote from the artist's life in 1974: at the opening of the Sporting Monte Carlo, Josephine Baker stood in for Sammy Davis Junior, who'd been taken ill at the last minute. He should have been the star performer at the Monegasque Red Cross Gala. Retired from the stage, the artist rose to the challenge and made an unexpected comeback, amazing the audience who gave her an incredible ovation. The following year, during a final Parisian revue based on her life, she suffered a stroke following her final performance and died three days later. You can read more about this amazing woman at THIS LINK.

Sergeant Louis Prouven

Why this young man has a blackened face, I don't know. I noticed several statues in the cemetery suffering this affliction - pollution, perhaps?

Louis Prouven died in the Battle of Verdon, at Fleury in the Meuse in August 1916. I don't know why, but graves from the Great War, that terrible war (as if all wars aren't terrible) affect me greatly. You can see another at Menton Daily Photo HERE.

His Excellency, le Baron Edouard Imberty

Prepare for a few days more at the cemetery - I'm on a roll...

This imposing sepulchre is in honour of the Baron Edouard Imberty, who was born in Menton in 1806 and died in Monaco in 1874. He was the Governor General of the Principality of Monaco and the ex-President of the Tribunal and had many honours bestowed on him by Turkey and Tunisia, amongst others as well as the Legion of Honour. There is a Rue Imberty in Monaco, presumably named after him.

Daily Photo Theme Day: Cemeteries/Tombstones

Monaco's cemetery is situated just below the Princess Grace Hospital. Not the greatest placement of a hospital, I'd venture to say. Perhaps there was no choice - the Principality of Monaco, after all, is very small. So there you are, sick in your hospital bed - you look out of the window and there before you is the glorious Mediterranean, but look down and you realise you are staring at descending terraces of graves. Several famous people are buried in the graveyard: Josephine Baker, the entertainer and Leo Ferré, the designer amongst them. This grave belongs to the Famille Ange Giordino. I'll post more photos from this beautiful cemetery over the coming days.

Today, being the 1st of the month, is Daily Photo Theme Day. Do please take time to visit the other cities in the Daily Photo family taking part in today's theme:

St. Louis (MO), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - New York City (NY), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Mainz, Germany - Hyde, UK - Arlington (VA), USA - Cape Town, South Africa - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Toulouse, France - Arradon, France - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia - Joplin (MO), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Mexico (DF), Mexico - Seattle (WA), USA - Baziège, France - Baltimore (MD), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Sequim (WA), USA - Stayton (OR), USA - Stockholm, Sweden - Austin (TX), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Greenville (SC), USA - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Nashville (TN), USA - Tenerife, Spain - Manila, Philippines - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Jacksonville (FL), USA - River Falls (WI), USA - Chateaubriant, France - Quincy (MA), USA - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - Inverness (IL), usa - Lubbock (TX), USA - Phoenix (AZ), USA - Moscow, Russia - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - Crepy-en-Valois, France - Minneapolis (MN), USA - New Orleans (LA), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Toruń, Poland - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Christchurch, New Zealand - London, England - Paderborn, Germany - The Hague, Netherlands - Selma (AL), USA - Sunderland, UK - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Stavanger, Norway - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - Weston (FL), USA - Portland (OR), USA - Forks (WA), USA - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Boston (MA), USA - Sydney, Australia - Wellington, New Zealand - Montpellier, France - Jackson (MS), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Petaling Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Evry, France - Saarbrücken, Germany - New York City (NY), USA - Santa Fe (NM), USA - North Bay (ON), Canada - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Cypress (TX), USA - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Paris, France - San Diego (CA), USA - Wichita (Ks), USA - Haninge, Sweden - Prague, Czech Republic - Zurich, Switzerland - Budapest, Hungary - Paris, France - Saigon, Vietnam