Decor of Decay
Located 20 meters (65 feet) below the streets of Paris, France lies one of the city’s most morbid secrets – the Catacombs! These underground tunnels are one of the world’s largest underground labyrinths of mystery spanning 800 hectares (over 3 square miles). Piles of femurs, neatly arranged, and the remains of over 6 million Parisen citizens leads to a few questions time and time again – is it morally ok to create a system of catacombs? Why would one create catacombs? What secrets are the Paris catacombs hiding??
The History- The first question we can answer is the why behind building this unique grave site. So, hop in my time machine because I’m taking you to the late 18th century! During this period there was an increase in deaths around the Paris region due to a multitude of factors. The piece to remember is that due to the deaths, cemeteries were beginning to fill up causing graves to be formed above ground. In addition to the graves being moved above ground, Paris was still using wells and underground sources for water. Trying not to disgust you too much, the decomposing remains of these corpses began to infect the water. This meant that even more illness, death, and disease was running rampant in France and citizens began to look for a solution. News of the catacombs in Rome reached Paris sparking the idea of creating their own system of catacombs.
After the initial idea sparked, the search for a location became easy. Old mining quarries spanned for meters (miles) under the city and had been unused for years. After being approved by government, the great bone migration began. Now this is the part most feel is morally questionable… over 17 graveyards were dug up for the bones to be haphazardly thrown into the underground tunnels now called catacombs. Finally in 1809, the catacombs first opened to the public. Some find it fascinating. Some find it terrifying. And some find a way to still honor the six million people who rest below the city.
Architecture
Originally thrown into haphazard piles of bones, inspector Hericart de Thury is to thank for the carefully displayed and arranged remains we see today. With femur and skulls being considered the most aesthetically pleasing at the time, these bones largely make of the outer facade. SPOILER ALERT: many bones that weren’t deemed pretty are still in piles, unarranged, behind the prettier displays.
Briefly mentioned above was the source of this city under a city… old mining quarries. After much of the stone was mined the empty passageways were left empty until the idea for the catacombs. However, due to the nature of mines, some parts of the catacombs are dangerous and thus not opened to the public. Whether it be crumbled structures, hard to reach spaces, or home to a deadly secret, people became eager to discover and explore the rest of the catacombs. Now I have to mention that this is ILLEGAL, but legend has it there are a plethora of other entrances to the space… some take it upon themselves to uncover every inch of the catacombs.
“Stop!
Paris Catacomb entrance
This is the Empire of Death”
Perhaps the most famous sight in the catacombs, The Barrel of Passion marks the end of a visit to the land of the dead. Again, using only the femur and skull bones a circular display is by far the most erie but beautiful sight. For a spooky picture tip: Pop out from behind the barrel or peak around the side!
The crossroads. While I was able to spend upwards of an hour exploring the section open to the public – the catacombs extend below and out in various directions. At this famous lookout point visitors can see into the second set of quarry paths below at ‘The Crossroads’.
After descending 131 steps, you still haven’t reached the entrance of the catacombs until you hit this famous sign reading, “STOP! This the Empire of Death.” This sign marks the start of the bone maze. The pillars of black and white make this entrance even more eye catching!
Almost as if the catacombs are the dead’s version of Paris, the paths of the catacombs mirror the city above. From street signs of your exact location in the tunnels to sign alluding to the catacombs being a city of its own, Paris extends far beyond ground level.
Myth Busted: Bone Security
Before visiting the catacombs, I had read about the experience on countless sites. One myth I saw time and time again was that they checked your bags for bones at the end of the visit. First off, they did not in fact check my bag. And second – WHO IS TAKING BONES FROM THE CATACOMBS. Please, please don’t do this!
Disrespectful or Desperate Attempt at Safety
Now to dive into the question that brought me into ‘The Empire of Death’ – the morals behind creating catacombs and removal of deceased remains from their original resting place.
I typically like to leave religion out of reasoning (especially morally) but in this case religion has a huge impact on the way one views the transition of bones to the catacombs and belief in the afterlife as a whole. The vast majority of those now buried in the catacombs fall into two religious groups – Catholics and Jews- so in hopes to respect these people, I’ll explore a bit of what they might believe.
Disturbing a grave in the modern age is considered to be a crime (at least in the US) and removal of cemeteries on church ground would certainly spark outrage. However, it’s important to consider the state of public health in late 18th century France. The reality was that without this transplant of bones to the underground… more and more French civilians would have succumbed to a premature death. This leads me to the grave conclusion that while upsetting, the creation of catacombs was necessary.
However, I do believe the approach taken could have been better or at least more respectful. It would have been extremely difficult to recognize all six million – maybe some formal ceremony to recognize the reburial would have calmed the unease that is the Paris Catacombs.
Final Thoughts
While I personally loved visiting this piece of French history, I don’t necessarily think this is a must do for everyone on a visit to Paris. This experience is not for the faint of heart and if bones and an eerie feeling are a bit too much… maybe stay above ground at the Eifel Tower or Louvre. That being said, the pictures and stories don’t do justice to the unique beauty of six million people resting together. As silly as it sounds, this place of the dead feels right out of a movie. Whether that movie be one of horror and tragedy or an adventurous mission is up to you. The only way to truly uncover the secrets of the catacombs is visiting them yourself… they’ll be waiting for you as they have been for over 200 years.