Alain Delon buried at his French home: what are the rules for this?

The late French actor Alain Delon, who died aged 88 on August 18, was buried on the grounds of his home in Loiret, according to his wishes. We look at what is required for this to happen and the rules for at-home burial. 

Read more: Tributes pour in for French film legend Alain Delon 

Mr Delon was buried in the grounds of his home in Douchy-Montcorbon (Loiret, Centre-Val de Loire), on Saturday, August 24. 

The actor, who has been described as an “animal lover”, reportedly owned more than 50 dogs in his lifetime. Around 35 of these dogs are also buried in the house grounds.

Several years before his death, Mr Delon received authorisation to be buried at home, meaning that a decree authorising burial on his property can be issued as soon as his family requests it, the Loiret prefect told France Bleu Orléans.

Authorisation is needed, because private at-home burials are not allowed in France, except under certain conditions. The practice is very rare.

What is the procedure to arrange a home burial in France?

The Code général des collectivités territoriales (CGCT) states that “any person” may be “buried on private property”, but must meet specific criteria in order to do this. 

To be eligible for approval, the burial site must be: 

• Outside ‘an urban area’ (as defined by the prefecture)

• More than 35 metres from any dwelling

• Inspected by an approved hydrogeologist (water expert) who must establish that there is no risk of water contamination

The initial request for a home burial must be made during the lifetime of the person concerned. 

Yet, authorisation will only be given at the time of death, and the prefect will only give approval if there is clear written evidence of the request before the person’s death.

The actual request can “only be formally made by descendants” after the person’s death, said Théo Clerc, a lawyer specialised in funeral law, to 20 Minutes.

The descendants - in this case, Mr Delon’s children - have two weeks after the death to formally request permission.

Read also: Alain Delon: French cinema legend dogged by scandal and family feud 

Forever access

Burying someone on family property has longterm consequences, warns Mr Clerc. 

For example, once the burial has taken place, this creates a “perpetual easement” for the descendants of the buried person. This means that the descendants have the eternal “right to come and pay their respects [at the grave] even if they are no longer the owners” of the property, he said.

Even if the property is sold to an unrelated party, the buried person’s family still has the right to enter the grounds to visit their relative’s grave.

Private ceremony

The actor’s long-time friend, Monseigneur Di Falco, officiated at the burial, which included a private ceremony. He also officiated at the funeral of the actor’s former partner, Mireille Darc.

“This has been planned for a long time,” said Mr Di Falco, to France Bleu Orléans. "Alain, who was my friend, asked me to do it. I’m just honouring his wishes.”

Mr Delon had also said that he wanted his dog Loubo, a Belgian Malinois, to be euthanised and “die in my arms” and be buried alongside him. Yet, animal welfare groups rejected this idea, and have since confirmed that the dog is healthy and will be cared for by Mr Delon’s family at home.

Read also: Alain Delon's dog Loubo to stay with family despite actor's last wish 

Funeral officiant Mr Di Falco, a former bishop of Gap, is retired. However, he was hit by his own set of scandals, with one of his former students having accused him of alleged rape and sexual assault dating back to 2001.

While uncommon, home burials are not unheard of in France. 

Indeed, Actress and animal welfare activist Brigitte Bardot, 89, has already also said that she has been granted permission to be laid to rest in the garden of her property at La Madrague (Var).