Nicolas Cage’s Pyramid Tomb in New Orleans’ oldest cemetery~

Actor Nicolas Cage has long been known for his eccentric behavior both in front of the camera and in the real world.
Born Nicolas Kim Coppola and nephew of The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola, he adopted his stage name to avoid nepotism on the job and claims to have gotten inspiration from Marvel superhero, Luke Cage.
As interesting as his acting career is, his personal life is equally enigmatic: his celebrity success has allowed him to buy everything, including private islands, dinosaur fossils, English and German castles, shrunken heads, albino cobras, exotic artworks, but also a supposedly haunted mansion.
And, interestingly, It seems he plans to continue this legacy into death as well, thanks to the odd pyramid mausoleum he purchased in St. Louis No. 1, New Orleans’ oldest cemetery, one of the so-called “City of Dead” in the area.

The actor has a link with the city of New Orleans, having purchased both the infamously haunted LaLaurie Mansion and the historic Our Lady of Perpetual Help Chapel. However, both properties were foreclosed on in 2009 after a tax debacle.
Later, he purchased his unnamed tomb in the city’s beloved St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, among figures throughout New Orleans’ history, including its first mayor, Étienne de Boré, and the famed queen of Voodoo, Marie Laveau.
Some people think Marie Laveau may be the reason he chose St. Louis No. 1 as his final resting place.
In the midst of his windfall of cash in the late 2000’s, he was buying all kinds of strange things, when he outbid Leonardo DiCaprio for a $276,000 dinosaur skull and bought New Orleans’ infamous LaLaurie mansion in 2007, surely aware of its sinister legacy.
The mansion was home to the Creole socialite Madame LaLaurie, who had a full detail of black slaves whom she tortured. Authorities had heard rumors about her cruelty for years, including a rumor that she had chained her cook to the stove.
When a fire broke out in the mansion, people tried to get inside to save the group of slaves within, but LaLaurie refused to give them the keys as her house became engulfed in flames. Eventually, a mob broke the door down and found her cook chained to the stove. Despite Nic Cage only owned the mansion for three years, the superstitious in New Orleans think he carefully chose his final resting place next to the queen of Voodoo so she would protect him from the vengeful spirits of the house.

In any case, the empty grave is a stark, almost three-meters-tall stone pyramid that stands in obvious contrast to the blockier, above-ground burial sites that have been crumbling away in the cemetery for over two centuries. There is no name on the pyramid yet, only the Latin maxim, “Omnia Ab Uno,” which literally translates to “Everything From One.”
And, interestingly, the actor himself has chosen to remain silent about his reasoning for the eccentric tomb.
In addition to LaLaurie’s mansion theory, none are sure if Nicolas Cage is the superstitious type. Despite claiming that he bases his acting on the ancient art of shamanic ritual, the actor has refused to speak of anything he believes spiritually in interviews.
Some speculate it’s an homage to the “National Treasure” movie franchise, though given that many cemeteries host pyramid grave markers, it may have simply been a stylistic choice.
Others think the pyramid is evidence of the strange actor’s ties to the probably-fictitious secret Illuminati society. Because of antique portraits bearing an uncanny resemblance to Nicolas Cage that have surfaced online, the more paranormally-minded suggest that the pyramid is where he will regenerate his immortal self.
Whatever his reasons, the pyramid has already become an iconic part of the cemetery, much to the chagrin of many locals who are furious that he was able to obtain a plot in the historic graveyard.
Many have even accused the tomb of damaging or removing other centuries-old burials to make room.
However, despite public outcry, the pyramid is there still today.
New Orleans may not like Nic Cage, but it’s clear that he likes New Orleans.
And even if some feel he is detracting from the historic importance of St. Louis Cemetery No.1, his grave has already become a part of its history as, for whatever reason, a tradition has arisen of leaving lipstick kisses behind on the nameless tomb.
Maybe, eventually, there’s no reason he bought the tomb, other than he thinks it’s cool.
Either way, it remains as inexplicable as a rumored tattoo on his back of a lizard wearing a top-hat….

Be careful: since 2015 a tour guide is required to visit the cemetery, unless you are visiting a your deceased family member.