Paris, the capital of France, is often called La Ville Lumière (meaning ‘The City of Light’), however, beneath this bustling European city of 12 million people, lies a dark subterranean world holding the remains of 6 million of its former inhabitants.
These are the Paris Catacombs: a network of old caves, quarries and tunnels stretching hundreds of miles, and seemingly lined with the bones of the dead.
Some areas are open to the public as museums, but since 1955 entrance to the majority of the underground space is prohibited. However this hasn’t stopped some thrill-seekers venturing into the cavernous passages that have been home to thousands of upon thousands of bones of the dead. As the water table has risen under the city, many of these spaces are now filled with cool and clean water. Locals are well aware of this, and, according to Bobrtimes , this year’s long, sweltering summer has seen an increase in illegal entrance to the catacombs as people seek a respite from the heat by using the subterranean pools as cooling zones.
The historic underground catacombs are the final resting place of millions of Parisians. SBoyd/ Flickr
Origins of the Paris Catacombs
The Paris Catacombs have their origins in the limestone quarries situated on the outskirts of the city. This natural resource has been in use since the time of the Romans, and provided construction material for the city’s buildings, as well as contributed to the city’s growth and expansion. It was only after during the second half of the 18 th century, however, that the former limestone mines (now under the city as it expanded over the centuries) were transformed into burial places.
In 1763, an edict was issued by Louis XV banning all burials from the capital. The Church, however, did not wish to disturb or move the cemeteries, and opposed the edict. As a result, nothing was done. The situation persisted until 1780, when an unusually long period of spring rain caused a wall around the Les Innocents to collapse, resulting in the spilling of rotting corpses into a neighboring property. By this time, the French authorities were forced to take action.
Engraving depicting the Saints Innocents cemetery in Paris, around the year 1550. Public Domain
In 1786, the former Tombe-Issoire quarries were blessed and consecrated, turning them into the Paris Catacombs . It took two years for all the bones from the Les Innocents to be transferred to the catacombs. Over the following decades, the bones of the dead were removed from cemeteries around Paris for reburial in the catacombs. Furthermore, the practice of burying the newly dead directly in the catacombs began after the French Revolution.
A view of the Catacombs under Paris. The catacombs are a large collection of bones and ossuaries under the city. Engraving, 1855. Public Domain
It was only in 1859 that the final transfer of bones was undertaken during the renovation of Paris by Georges-Eugène Haussmann, and the work was finally completed in 1860. Seven years later, the catacombs were open to the public. In total the winding catacombs stretch over 300 kilometers (186 miles).
Bones from the former Magdeleine cemetery. Deposited in 1844 in the western ossuary (bone repository) and transferred to the catacombs in September 1859. Wikimedia Commons
The Weird Underworld of the Catacombs
Although the Paris Catacombs are still open to the general public today, access is limited to only a small fraction of the network. It has been illegal since 1955 to enter the other parts of the catacombs.
Nevertheless, during the 1970s and 80s, the catacombs have been explored illegally by Parisian urban explorers known as Cataphiles. Some of the spaces have even been restored and turned into creative spaces. One of these underground caverns, for instance, was transformed into a secret amphitheater, complete with a giant cinema screen, projection equipment, a couple of films and seats. The neighboring area was revamped into a fully-stocked bar and a restaurant, perhaps where the patrons of the amphitheater could get a snack or a meal.
