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The Royal Chapel is regarded as one of the finest Baroque buildings in the country. Finished in 1710, the elegant, white marble Corinthian columns and numerous murals make for an awe-inspiring place of prayer.

The poet who shocked the world with his frank collection of poems Les Fleurs du Mal was born in Paris in 1821 and died here in 1867.

This charming and touching grave shows Charles Pigeon and his wife in bed, reading by the light of the gas lamp he invented.

The Polish composer was born in 1810 but died in Paris at the age of 39. The statue on his tomb represents “the genius of music sunk in grief”.

In the southeast corner of the gardens stands the Grand Trianon, a miniature palace built by Louis XIV to enable him to retreat from royal duties and enjoy a little private female company.

The great French novelist and short-story writer died in Paris in 1893, and his grave with its luxuriant growth of shrubs stands out because of the open book carving (see Bel-Ami).

Joined together in death as in life, even though they never lived together, their joint grave is a remarkably simple affair. Both of these philosophers were born, lived and died in Paris (see Top 10 Foreign Writers who Lived in Paris).

The stunningly opulent opera house was built in 1770, to be ready in time for the marriage of the dauphin , the future Louis XVI, to Marie-Antoinette. The floors were designed so that they could be raised to stage level during special festivals.