St Roch Cemetery

Lonely Planet review

Just a few blocks towards the lake from the Faubourg Marigny (driving is recommended), St Roch cemetery is one of New Orleans' most intriguing resting places. It is named after an obscure saint, a French native, whose prayers are said to have protected Rome from the Black Plague. During New Orleans' bouts with yellow fever, Catholics who prayed to St Roch (pronounced 'St Rock') are believed to have been spared, and the small chapel within the cemetery grounds was raised in his honor.

Entering this walled necropolis, you pass through an elegant wrought-iron fence; the grounds' paved paths are lined with family and society tombs, some magnificent, some decrepit. The real fascination here is within the chapel itself.

The main reason to schlep out here is to cast your peepers on the curiosities displayed behind a small gated chamber, to your right as you enter the chapel. The strange collection of ceramic body parts (healed ankles, heads, breasts), prosthetics, leg braces, crutches and false teeth that hang from the walls and cover the floor are ex-votos, or testaments to the healing power of St Roch. Marble floor tiles are inscribed with the words 'thanks' and ' merci. ' Each - of these items represents a prayer answered by the prolific, strangely named saint, who, the decaying evidence suggests, is currently enjoying a semiretirement.

Tons of debris was hauled out of the cemetery after Hurricane Katrina, and the chapel was damaged. At this writing, the chapel was still closed, and there was no. The sourrounding neighborhood was one of the most violent neighborhoods in the city, and some of the criminal element has crept back since Katrina - so be alert.