They are situated in the La Guillotière neighborhood of the city, in the 7th and 8th arrondissements, just south of Parc Sergent Blandan.

[3] The cemetery sustained significant damage when it was mistakenly bombed by the American military during the Second World War on 26 May 1944.

[6][7][8] There is still visible damage on some of the graves at the south end of the new cemetery near rue Pierre Delore.

[6] The new cemetery is organized in concentric circles, and is the largest in the city at 18 hectares (44 acres).

[11] The two cemeteries are separated by Avenue Berthelot and the railroad tracks connecting Perrache and Part-Dieu railway stations.