Every traveler’s bucket list should include a visit to Paris as well as its Catacombs.The Catacombs, like most of the city, are entrenched in remarkable history, full of fascinating and occasionally scary facts. Paris was a thriving metropolis and the biggest city in Europe in the 17th century.It was an era of incredible innovation, development, and inspiration. Paris’ cemeteries were congested because it was not a youthful city. Residents in select neighborhoods near the city’s oldest cemetery would complain about the strong odors of decomposing bodies. The Tombe Issoire Quarries, which were located just outside of Paris at the time and had been out of use until the 15th century, were chosen by the Parisian authorities.The Lieutenant General of Police, Alexandre Lenoir, suggested that the putrescent remains be preserved and buried in the deserted subterranean limestone quarries underneath Paris to decrease the risk of fatal sickness caused by bacteria. However, the phrase ‘overcrowded’ is possibly an understatement, given that after a flood inundated the border of the cemetery, bodies buried there started to spill onto the surface.What are catacombs?Catacombs lie beneath the bustling metropolis of Paris, containing the bones of almost six million individuals! The catacombs were built out of ancient limestone quarry tunnels to alleviate the city’s overcrowded cemeteries. It was time to relocate the city’s dead in 1780, once the walls of Les Innocents, Paris’ significant burial ground, started falling and bodies starting poking out.The corpses were stacked high on carts and carried to their new site in the dark of night. The miners deposited their bones into two ancient quarry wells and then shifted them into place. After the French Revolution, additional remains from other Parisian graves were transferred into the catacombs. They have now become an intriguing as well as terrible spectacle in France’s capital city. In addition, the trenches were utilized by the French Resistance’s Parisian members during World War II.The authorities of Paris started removing bodies from Saints-Innocents, a long-closed cemetery inside the city center, in 1785. As remains were collected from Paris’s cemeteries and carried into the Catacombs, they were thrown in entirely unorganized mounds. The catacombs are located 787 in (20 m) beneath Paris and cover 198.8 mi (320 km). They were first available to the public in 1809, and they were a huge success. The people could witness the miners’ skeletal ornamental displays constructed from bones for the first time. Rather than stacking them up, they covered the walls using skulls and used other bones to create decorative elements and displays like circles, crosses, and hearts. The bones were removed from the common graves, charnel houses, and tombs and transported at night to avoid adverse reactions from the Parisian public and the Church.Famous Catacombs Around The WorldThe Rome Catacombs, Brno Ossuary, Rabat Catacombs, Palermo Capuchin Catacombs, Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, and St. Stephen’s Cathedral are among the world’s most famous catacombs. Catacombs have famous histories, and a lot of people love to learn more about them!The Paris Catacomb is a massive structure built of tibiae and skulls that holds the tunnel’s roof. In 1786, the site was dedicated as the ‘Paris Municipal Ossuary’, and the term ‘Catacombs’ was coined in honor of the Roman catacombs, which had piqued the public’s interest. They provided a haven for the French resistance during World War II while plotting assaults on the Germans. Even though it was forbidden to access the catacombs without a supervisor until 1955, various entrances, such as through buildings atop the tunnels, were accessibke until the late ’80s. There are multiple accounts of farmers accidentally discovering the underground tunnels and growing mushrooms. So if you are ever traveling somewhere remote and rural, make sure to really check the ground you walk on, lest you find a catacomb or two!The Catacombs Of ParisThe catacombs of Paris have a long and interesting history, with some very practical reasons behind their existence! They date back to the late 18th century when severe public health concerns about the city’s cemeteries prompted a decision to relocate their occupants to an underground location.Parisian police were conducting a training exercise in an unchartered area of the catacombs in 2004. Surprisingly, they discovered a sign that stated ‘Building site, no entry,’ as well as a camera that was filming the entrance. Several dark secrets are hidden in the Catacombs of Paris. Paris, a city known for its passion for romance, fashion, and culture, has a dark secret hidden beneath its streets.Even the most significant burial chambers, including the Chapel of the Popes in the St. Calixtus’s catacomb, barely hold 40 people. Both pagans and Christians considered death filthy, so while memorial masses or dinners for the dead could be held in tombs on special events, regular public prayer would be improbable.In fact, Paris’ catacombs are the most famous across the entire world, with a series of stories and myths attached to the catacombs of Paris. So, if you ever find yourself strolling down the streets of Paris, do not forget to check out the catacombs!Burials in CatacombsThe graves of the ever developing city of Paris were running out of space in the 18th century. As if that wasn’t horrible enough, some bodies were not buried properly, causing disease to spread. Authorities in Paris eventually decided to criticize the city’s cemeteries and relocate the remains. The officials went underground to several of the city’s quarries.The remains of 6 million people are strewn over the tunnels; most of them were buried in ossuaries. The Catacombs, however, are surrounded by numerous tunnels. Parisian quarry miners built these tunnels before some were utilized as graves. The city’s oldest and busiest cemetery, Holy Innocents, was the first and most popular place to be buried in Paris. As a result, nearby citizens began to complain about the foul odor of death spreading throughout the city.The cataphiles are a group of city investigators that like spending long periods inside the Catacombs of Paris for their adventure and entertainment. While they may appear to be a modern day religion, they are highly respectful of the deceased and the passageways. They make maps to ensure visitors do not become lost in the immense necropolis. They’re insiders, and knowledge on getting access to the catacombs is shared only between the group. For years, the cataphiles formed their society within the abandoned tunnels and quarries.Besides decay, bones, and death, it seems that the catacombs also have some lovely wine. First, a team of French burglars bore thru the Catacombs’ limestone walls into a neighboring vault, which housed roughly 300 bottles of fine wine and was hidden beneath an apartment. Then, in the 1780s, when the bones of the dead were initially brought up into the tunnels by carriages, they were thrown in (after a priest told a prayer to put the dead at rest). After that, workers started organizing the old bones into circle and heart patterns and decorations, as well as lining the walls using skulls and other gruesome remains.When a Parisian called Monsieur Chambery traveled down into the tunnels in the 19th century, he discovered a cluster of wild mushrooms flourishing within a chamber. So, he decided to start producing his personal champignon de Paris in the derelict tunnels, a process that was quickly recognized and valued by the horticultural society of Paris. Given that the presence of the Catacombs of Paris was well-known during World War II, and since they stretch for kilometers underground, it’s no wonder that they were also employed for military purposes. You might be surprised to learn that both sides used them.During the war, soldiers of the French Resistance used the underground tunnel network to conceal and plot operations against the Germans. They could avoid detection thanks to the Catacombs, which enabled them to avoid being noticed by German spies. Therefore, the fact that the Nazis had a presence in the Catacombs and erected various bunkers is even more surprising.A rock-cut palace carved from recollection between 1777 and 1782 by a quarry supervisor who had done time in prison is one highight of the catacombs. He perished in a cave in when attempting to build an accessible stairway near the statue.However, most people recommend visiting the Paris Catacombs at least once in the city! There are approximately 40 chambers known; most of them are located along the city’s main roadways. They are the most extensive recorded catacombs, with portions accessible to visitors.
Every traveler’s bucket list should include a visit to Paris as well as its Catacombs.
