France

Among the graves of Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris is an elaborate mausoleum upon which a strange story has become attached. According to legend, it houses the remains of a Russian princess whose last will and testament promises a fortune to anyone who can spend one year, alone, inside her tomb. Her body lies inside a glass coffin within a chapel room lined with mirrors. As such, anywhere an intrepid visitor may look, they would see the visage of the mysteriously well-preserved princess. Those who attempted the feat failed after a short time, with some saying they felt their life force drained, and one having been driven mad. There’s even implications that the princess’ body rises from the grave and moves about the tomb. The exterior of the mausoleum supposedly features vampiric designs, such as stone wolf heads. It would seem this legend presents us with a vampire who developed a contest as a means to lure fresh victims to her resting place. Let’s unpack this story and see how it evolved.

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