A macabre attraction of the French capital is the extensive network of Catacombs, stretching for hundreds of kilometers.
From quarry to ossuary
Since antiquity, limestone and gypsum have been quarried on the banks of the Seine to construct buildings. As a result of centuries of mining, a huge web of tunnels and caves was formed under the city. For a long time they were empty, but in the middle of the 18th century they were put to good use.
By this time, ancient Paris was experiencing a catastrophic shortage of places of repose for the dead. The cemeteries within the boundaries of the French capital were overcrowded: graves were often filled in several tiers, which led to violations of sanitary norms.
The last straw in the patience of the city authorities was the collapse of the wall separating the Cemetery of the Innocents from the residential part of the city, causing the basements of nearby houses to fill with mud and the remains of the dead.
In 1809, a decision was made to close this pogost and to transfer the ashes of the townspeople buried there to an underground vault. For 15 months, under the cover of night, the bones were removed from the ground, disinfected and then transported to the Catacombs. Later, other cemeteries in Paris were cleaned in the same way.
The principle of anonymity was applied to the transfer of ashes, and no exceptions were allowed, even for celebrities. Together with the ashes of millions of unknown inhabitants of the French capital, the remains of the royal ministers Colbert and Fouquet, the scientist Blaise Pascal, the architect Monsard, the storyteller Charles Perrault, the philosopher Montesquieu, the playwright Racine, and the mysterious prisoner known by the nickname “The Iron Mask” were placed in the tunnels and halls of the Catacombs.
During the French Revolution, the bodies of guillotine victims, including prominent political figures such as Danton, Demoulin, and Robespierre, were buried in the dungeons. Ironically, the Catacombs became the resting place of both the fierce revolutionary Marat and his murderer, the charming Charlotte Corday.
Visiting the Catacombs: tips for tourists
The entrance to the Paris Catacombs is located in a small pavilion on Denfert-Rocherean Square. No more than 200 people are allowed into the dungeon at a time, so there may be queues during the tourist season. The attraction can only be visited in groups that are formed on site.
Tourists are offered a two-kilometer route that takes at least 45 minutes to complete. The visit begins with a descent to a depth of 20 meters and a visit to the historical exposition, which tells the history of the Catacombs. Visitors can also see the remains of the water supply system, the surviving quarries, and the Port-Mahon Gallery: here sculptures of the stone carver and former soldier, Decourt, also known as Bosejour, are on display.
After passing this room, tourists find themselves at a metal door, behind which the ossuary is located. This is also indicated by the inscription at the entrance “Stop! Here is the Empire of Death”.
The ossuary consists of a series of gloomy halls that are filled with human remains, placed in strict order. At times, the walls of ashes are decorated with ornaments skillfully made of tibia bones and skulls. In addition to the remains, in the halls of the ossuary one can see slabs with the name of the cemeteries and the time when the ashes were transferred, monuments and tombstones.
Visitors are not allowed to deviate from the proposed route, and face a hefty fine for violation.
The Catacombs are open from 10:00 to 20:30 (ticket office closes an hour earlier). The dungeons are closed on Mondays, as well as May 1, August 15 and January 1. The cost of a visit for May 2017 is 12 euros, and a ticket for children from 4 to 17 years old can be purchased for 5 euros. Tourists can use audio guides in French, German and English.
Interesting facts
- The dungeon was named “Catacombs” in honor of the famous Roman Catacombs, where the remains of Christian martyrs were buried
- The ossuarium holds the remains of at least 6 million Parisians. Its area is about 11,000 square meters. Only a small part of the halls and tunnels filled with bones are open to the public
- The total length of the underground city takes 200-300 kilometers
- To get down to the Catacombs, tourists will have to overcome 130 steps going down and 83 steps leading upward
- The first visitor to the gloomy attraction was Count d’Artois (future King Charles X), who in 1787 descended into the dungeon with the ladies of the court
- The first organized public visit to the Catacombs took place in July 1806. To prevent visitors from getting lost, the ceilings of the halls along the route were marked with signs.
- On April 2, 1897, at exactly midnight, an unusual concert was held in the Catacombs, where works appropriate to the setting were performed: Chopin’s “Funeral March”, Saint-Saëns’ “Dance of Death” and others. Since then, the Catacombs have periodically hosted private concerts to which a select audience is invited.
