The Catacombs of Paris

I went to a very unique and often unnoticed or unthought-of part of Paris – the Catacombs of Paris. The Catacombs of Paris are extensive underground tunnels in which the remains of the long-deceased people, buried in Paris' overflowing cemeteries, were put to make space in the city over two centuries ago. In the late 1700's, Paris was growing and running out of space not only for the living, but also for the dead. A few Parisians in high places came up with the idea to empty the city's very full cemeteries to create more space. But where to put all of these dead bodies? There were a bunch of tunnels from a quarry just south of Paris (in modern-day Paris' 14th arrondissement) that were no longer in use. It was decided that these old quarries would be a perfect place to put the remains of all the deceased from the cemeteries. The graves were dug up and the bones were taken into the quarries and stacked from ceiling to floor, in sometimes artful arrangements. The grounds were blessed by a priest and considered "sacred ground."

Today, the curious traveler may descend the 130-step spiral staircase down into the quarries, deep into the surface of the earth and walk amongst the remains of Paris' permanent residents, resting deep under the bustle of one of the busiest and most famous cities in the world.
It is a very long subterranean walk through dark, damp tunnels with very low clearance (for once, being short has its advantages) in order to reach the tunnels that contain all of the skeletons. At the entrance to these creepy catacombs, there is a warning carved in the stone door frame above the door: “Arrête! C’est ici l’empire de la mort.” It means “Stop! This is the empire of the dead.”

As soon as you pass through the doorway that bears this spine-tingling warning, you are immediately surrounded by thousands upon thousands of bones and skulls. It is very chilling as you realize just how many dead bodies were removed from what they had thought was their final resting place to the catacombs. At each section of remains that you come to, there is a stone plaque indicating the cemetery from which they were removed, and the date that they were moved. There are also little poems and prayers for the dead carved into stones scattered throughout the catacombs. On both sides of you, bones are stacked upon each other sometimes three or four feet high, sometimes six feet high, with the black hollow eyes of the skulls staring out at you from the wall-like stacks of bones. It is a very strange feeling coming face-to-face with a “person” who lived hundreds of years before you. Paris has been inhabited by different peoples for thousands of years, and has served as a capital city for about three thousand years. These skeletons, which were removed from their graves over two hundred years ago, could have been in their graves for centuries before being removed. After all, they were already skeletons when they were removed, so they were dead for quite a while. I could have come face-to-face with the skull of a person who had lived during the rule of Charlemagne or the Crusades or the European Renaissance, or someone who had witness the building of the Notre Dame or the Palace of Versailles.

It was a very long, cold, and morbid walk through the 1.7 kilometer (about a mile) catacomb. It took about forty-five minutes from start to finish and by the end of it, I was ready to be out of there. But I really wasn’t as creeped out by the skeletons as I was interesting in them and imagining their stories (I’m a writer, it happens automatically). I was more concerned by the fact that I was deep underground and that if there were an earthquake, I would be in big trouble. It was also really cold and since it was raining, there was water everywhere. It was leaking through the ceilings of the catacombs and gathering on the floor, making everything wet and slippery.

Overall, I am glad that I went. It is one of the most unique places I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting, and certainly an experience I will never forget. If you’re ever in Paris and want to step out of your comfort zone while experiencing history, then I highly recommend a visit to the Catacombs of Paris.