France

Back underground... at the Paris Catacombs

B Byrd

— 4 min read
Back underground... at the Paris Catacombs

For our first expedition on our busy Tuesday in Paris, we headed to the Paris Catacombs. More properly an ossuary (bone yard), A and I had tried to get here on two previous visits (note for fellow travellers: the catacombs are NOT open on Mondays — ever!).

Open to the public since the early 1900s (and to visiting dignitaries and clandestine concertgoers before that), the catacombs hold the bones of millions of Parisians from the 10th to the 18th centuries. Almost none of the remains are individually identified, though some famous inhabitants (including, for the science nerds out there, Antoine Lavoisier), are at least known to be among the bones.

This is because the vast majority of the bones interned in the catacombs are from former graveyards (mostly paupers' mass graves, but more important ones as well) that were exhumed and reburied in the catacombs between the 1780s and 1860s. This was in part to address health and safety issues, including mass graves collapsing into nearby basements and cellars.

At the time, all graveyards within the Paris city limits were exhumed and transfered to the catacombs. Four new graveyards were established outside the city. The catacombs themselves are actually old limestone quarries which were the source of building material for Paris's many limestone edifices, including the Louvre and Notre Dame. Quarrying was stopped after some significant building collapses and sinkholes.

The Inspectorate-General of Quarries was established to shore up and make them safe — and continues that role today. It also managed the relocation of remains and is responsible for conservation of the ossuary to this day.

About 25m below the city, the ossuary is fairly sobering when you consider the millions of lives represented by the bones there. Many, especially skulls and femurs, have been formed into neat walls along the galleries of the the quarries. But behind those neat walls — many artistically arranged to form patterns of crosses, arches or just simply layers — are literal piles of assorted bones. While the exhumation and re-internment was carefully managed with considerable religious ceremony (at least until the French Revolution), the sheer volume allowed for little else.

It was a little incomprehensible to really take in the overwhelming number of lives and stories represented by what we could see. But still an interesting insight into how society relates to mortality and how this continues to change.

131 steps down to the catacombs (only 112 back up at the other end). Also last known photo of J's fourth beanie.
There are over 600km of tunnels under the inspector-general's purview.
The inscription indicates the gallery number (1) for the particular inspector (J) and the year it was constructed (1848). The galleries were constructed to facilitate inspection and rectification of the unstable quarries.
A black painted line referred to as Ariadne's thread runs along a lot of the ceilings. This was a guide along the passages for earlier visitors to the catacombs, who often only lit their way with personal candles. The path we took only occasionally followed this line.
Workshop area for the quarries. Behind the walls is quarry waste.
Cracks in the roof of an unstable area.
The arches here were a later addition to further stabilise this area (see cracks photo above). This gallery is a ramp between different levels of the quarries.
Locations of the new graveyards outside Paris, as well those that were exhumed.
This illicit concert took place in the area above. There were at least 45 musicians.
Early tourists with their candles.
Shaft for winching limestone blocks up from the quarries. It now opens up in the gift shop (with a Perspex cover 😁).

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