The Catacombs of Paris

In 18^th century Paris one of the problems faced by the authorities was where to put the bodies of those who’s time on earth was done. It was grim. There were tales of cemeteries so full that the graves burst open, and bodies fell into the basements of those unlucky enough to live close by. Some claimed the bacteria from cemeteries was so strong in the air it could spoil milk and wine in the kitchens of those living in the streets around.

Cremation wasn’t a thing in Paris, the crypts were full. It was a public health nightmare, and burials within the city limits were banned in 1780. No more room. Five years later a programme began to move human remains from the overfilled graveyards and transfer them to underground tunnels of an old limestone mine which at that time was outside the city limits, the former Tombe-Issoire quarries under the plain of Montrouge. The last bones were placed here in 1860.

The catacombs of Paris

The site was consecrated as the “Paris Municipal Ossuary” on April 7, 1786. It became known as the “catacombs”, in reference to the Roman underground burial chambers called catacombs.

In 1809, the catacombs were opened to the public by appointment.

Under the management of one Inspector Héricart de Thury, the bones were ghoulishly arranged in a creative way between 1810 and 1814. Instead of loosely piling the bones up, they were stacked neatly in winding rows – tibiae alternating with skulls, and the remaining bones piled behind creating long winding walls of bones and bits. Certain areas were named after religious, Romantic or Antique sources, such as the Lacrymatory Sarcophagus, the Samaritan Fountain or the Sepulchral Lamp.

De Thury had two cabinets built in the style of traditional cabinets of curiosities; one was dedicated to mineralogy, the other to pathology. The pathology cabinet showed specimens that referred to bone illnesses and deformations. Throughout the galleries he placed religious and poetic texts.

No one knows for sure exactly how many skeletons were placed in the catacombs – but it’s thought to be more than six million.

The catacombs have been popular ever since, a macabre monument for sure but fascinating. Leaving the normal world of Paris behind you, a stone’s throw from the cemetery of Montparnasse and an area of busy traffic, bustling shops, bars and restaurants, you reach these grizzly bone galleries by descending the 131 steps down into the bowels of the earth, 20 metres below the surface, the height of a 5-storey building. The management do not recommend visits by ‘sensitive individuals’, pregnant women or those with cardiac or respiratory issues.

‘Arrête! C’est ici l’empire de la mort’ is the forbidding sign as you enter, meaning ‘Stop, here is the empire of death’. A sobering thought, but push on if you’re fascinated by the weird, the macabre and the downright morbid.

The air is cool year-round, slightly chilly even, and humid. The area of the catacombs is immense, around 11,000 sq metres, and the galleries run for hundreds of miles under Paris, most of it restricted and some of it is still unmapped.

You have to follow the route that’s allowed – you wouldn’t want to get lost down here like hospital porter Philibert Aspairt who wasn’t found for 11 years after losing his way in 1793, his body accidentally entombed along with six million others. And there it remains with an inscription telling his story.

It’s a surprisingly popular experience but only 200 people can go in each hour, so book tickets in advance or be prepared to queue to enjoy what has to be one of Paris’ most odd tourist venues.

www.catacombes.paris.fr

And if this floats your boat, you may also enjoy visiting Père Lachaise cemetery and Montmartre cemetery.

Janine Marsh is the author of several internationally best-selling books about France. Her latest book How to be French – a celebration of the French lifestyle and art de vivre, is out now – a look at the French way of life.