Paris has many famous burial sites. One is the Catacombs, a network of tunnels and chambers located underneath Paris, which are used as a mass burial site.
A Bit of History
Previously used as Roman limestone quarries, the underground network started being used as a tomb in the late 18th century. The official name is “les carriers de Paris”, the quarries of Paris.
In 1786, Les Halles, an area in the middle of Paris, was infected with disease, caused by contamination from the mass graves in the area, especially from the Saints Innocents Cemetery. It was decided that the bones should be moved to the abandoned quarries. The transfer of all the bones from various cemeteries took fifteen years. Bodies from the riots in 1788 were also placed in the quarry.
Visiting the Catacombs
Only a small portion of the Catacombs is open to the public. The network of tunnels is estimated to span more than 186 miles and although there is only one entrance open to the public, there are an estimated 300 entries around the city. Unofficial visits to the tunnels are illegal, and people that venture alone are at risk of getting lost. Nevertheless, parties and gatherings often occur.
The Catacombs are not for the weak-hearted. Walls are built out of stacked bones, neatly divided with rows of skulls, sometimes arranged in simple patterns. The maintenance of the accessible part of the tunnels is not done for to rope in the tourists. The lighting is dim and water drips from the ceiling in some parts. You’ll also see moss and mould growing in some areas, on bones and walls. Some people are uncomfortable with the fact that a burial site is now being exploited for tourism.
Ingenious Uses
The Catacombs have been host to more than just bones. Throughout the past 200 years, the Catacombs have been used for a number of political acts. In 1871, a group of monarchists were killed in a chamber by communards. The French Resistance used the underground tunnels and at the same time German soldiers built a bunker in the tunnels in the 6éme arrondissement.
More recently, the Catacombs have been in the media because of The Mexican Perforation, a French artistic movement that uses underground spaces. In 2004, a hidden chamber was discovered in the Catacombs by the French police. The chamber was being used as an underground movie theatre, with a functioning bar, movie screen and telephone line. When the police returned to complete their investigation, all the equipment had been removed and the chamber was empty.