Especially favored were the location of his relatively new residence, where de died Monday, 8. January, at 9 avenue Frédéric-Le-Play, and at his long-time Paris residence in the rue de Bièvre.

Tonight a vast crowd gathered in the rain in the Place de la Bastille, overfilling the place itself into the surrounding streets. Giant black and white photographs of the President were mounted around the place, lit by dozens of powerful lights. The massed umbrellas, glistening in the steady rain, reminded me of pre-war photos of vast demonstrations in great European squares.

Day of National Mourning Thursday, 11. January 1996

Following the wishes of M. Mitterrand, schools and administrative offices will not be closed tomorrow, but a minute of contemplation will be observed at 11:00. The present President of the Republic, M. Jacques Chirac, has ordered a special mass to be held at Notre Dame at the same hour. After the mass, there will be a reception for foreign dignitaries and heads of state, the governments, and other delegations, at the Elysée Palace.

The funeral itself will take place at the church of Saint-Pierre de Jarnac, in the village of the same name, at 11:00. Jarnac, the birthplace of François Mitterrand, is located in the Morvan, in the department Charante. These rites will be strictly private.

François Mitterrand will be buried in the Cemetery of the Grandsmaisons, beside his parents and grand-parents.

The village of Jarnac was not expecting this honor and is preparing as best it can for it. TV news said tonight that all the local hotels are booked up, and caravans of TV production vans were seen entering the town.

The various ceremonies will be carried on state television channel Antenne 2, starting at 7:00 Thursday morning, and additional coverage will be carried worldwide by other stations.

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