{"id":8982,"date":"2017-12-29T09:00:55","date_gmt":"2017-12-29T14:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=8982"},"modified":"2018-01-01T15:15:48","modified_gmt":"2018-01-01T20:15:48","slug":"bare-bones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=8982","title":{"rendered":"Bare Bones"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a9 2017 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved<\/i>.<\/p>\n

The Catacombs of Paris…<\/p>\n

Often the subject of many a horror movie, the catacombs maintain a place in countless imaginations as one of gruesome terror.\u00a0 Those who are claustrophobic refuse to enter thinking that as they make their way thru the passageways, the walls will close in around them, the bones coming to life!\u00a0 And there are many who are convinced that ghost roam these halls (well, actually they might).<\/p>\n

Despite these fears, the Catacombs are a popular, yet dark feature in The City of Light with thousands of visitors lining up each day to roam the corridors and gaze upon the millions of bones that line the walls and walkways.<\/p>\n

With so many famous cemeteries in Paris (Cimeti\u00e8re du P\u00e8re Lachaise,\u00a0Cimeti\u00e8re de Montmartre,\u00a0Cimeti\u00e8re du Montparnasse), however, how did the catacombs come to be?<\/p>\n

Limestone quarries, located on the outskirts of the city, provided construction materials for the city’s building and allowed for growth and expansion before the 18th century.\u00a0 Around this time, Parisian cemeteries were increasingly becoming overpopulated and many improper burials resulted in open graves and unearthed corpses.\u00a0 The stench of decomposing flesh and the risk of disease led those who resided close to these cemeteries to complain to the authorities.<\/p>\n

In 1763, Louis XV issued an edict which banned all burials within the city, however, the Church fought back, not wishing to disturb the dead.\u00a0 In 1780, massive rains caused flooding which resulted in a wall around the cemetery of Les Innocents<\/em> to collapse, spilling rotting corpses onto the neighboring properties.\u00a0 Finally, French authorities were forced to take action.<\/p>\n

The quarries were deemed an appropriate spot to relocate the bones and corpses from the overcrowded cemeteries.\u00a0 In 1786, the Tombe-Issoire<\/em> quarries were blessed and consecrated and they became what we now know as the Paris Catacombs.\u00a0 Moving the bodies from Les Innocents<\/em> took over two years and was followed by the relocation of bones from cemeteries throughout the city.\u00a0 By the French Revolution, however, the practice of burying the newly dead directly into the catacombs was instituted.<\/p>\n

The process of transferring the bones was finally completed in 1860 and seven years later, the catacombs were opened to the public.<\/p>\n

\"\"Access to the Catacombs, one of the fourteen City of Paris museums, is located near the Denfert Rochereau metro station in the Square de l’Abbe Migne.\u00a0 After waiting in the never-ending queue, you will descend via a staircase of 130 steps leading down 20 meters below ground.\u00a0 The area is dimly lit, and at times, narrow and low.\u00a0 There are many signs engraved on the walls, however, most will not be of any assistance in navigating the passageways.\u00a0 Architects and engineers of the Quarry Inspection Department marked their underground construction work during the 18th century.\u00a0 The number of the work site, initials and the year are engraved in the stone and are interesting to note.\u00a0 Other signs refer to the Arcueil Aqueduct, built between 1613 and 1623, on order from Marie de Medici, to bring water to the city from springs in Rungis and many of the passageways are identified by the avenues that run above them.<\/p>\n

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\"\"After a lengthy walk and an encounter with a display on the history of the catacombs, we soon came to the entrance to the ossuary, where a sign above the black and white doorways read \u201cStop, this is death\u2019s empire!\u201d.\u00a0 Stepping through the entryway,\u00a0 it is here that you finally encounter the remains of several million Parisians.<\/p>\n

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The first bones were thrown here randomly and it wasn’t until 1810, when H\u00e9ricart de Thury, Inspector General of the Quarries, developed the area.\u00a0 Long bones and skulls were arranged decoratively to form a back wall, or hague, behind which the other bones are piled.\u00a0 \u00a0Thury also created signage to indicate which Parisian cemetery the bones originated.\u00a0 His use of geometric shapes on the masonry pillars and decorative arrangement of the bones is fascinating and reminded me of the Capuchin Crypt in Rome, where bones are used to decorate the walls and used to make various objects within the crypt.<\/p>\n

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After a lengthy walk, I became separated from my companions and found myself completely alone.\u00a0 Though I was enthralled by the process of photographically capturing the unique bone formations, it suddenly dawned on me that I might have taken a wrong turn.\u00a0 Trying to remain calm, I continued on, positive that I was on the correct path toward the exit.<\/p>\n

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Finding the fountain “de la Samaritaine” (of the Samaritan woman) was a welcome sight.\u00a0 Knowing that this would be part of the tourist passageways, I realized that I must be on the correct path.\u00a0 The fountain is a well, around which a small circular area was designed, surrounded by wall of bones from the Les Innocents.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>The well was installed so that the quarry workers could make mortar for use in the construction of the hagues.<\/p>\n

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Finally, encountering other visitors, I found signs referring to the major events of the French Revolution, “Fighting at the\u00a0R\u00e9veillon factory in Faubourg
\nSaint-Antoine on 28 April 1789\u201d (where a workers’ protest ended in a massacre) and\u00a0\u201cFighting at the Ch\u00e2teau des Tuileries on 10 August 1792\u201d (where Swiss guards fought against Parisian units).\u00a0 During this time, the ossuary was used as a morgue and those killed in combat were brought to this location.<\/p>\n

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Nearing the end of the tour, my companions were alerted to my approach by the clicking of my camera.\u00a0 Here, I found them in the Crypt of the Passion, or the “tibia rotunda”.\u00a0 A supporting pillar is circled by skulls and tibias and form an impressive barrel shape.\u00a0 In 1897, a concert was held here between midnight and two in the morning.\u00a0 Over one hundred thrill-seeking attendees listened to Chopin’s Funeral March and the Danse Macabre as well as other pieces by Camille Saint-Saens.<\/p>\n

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Those same thrill-seekers are still fascinated by the Paris Catacombs today.\u00a0 Though open to the general public, access is limited to a small part of the network.\u00a0 Since, 1955, it has been illegal to enter other parts of the catacombs, however, the Cataphiles, urban explorers, have explored parts of the catacombs deemed off limits.\u00a0 Some areas have been reported to have been restored and turned into creative spaces by the Cataphiles, one with a secret amphitheater, complete with a giant cinema screen, projection equipment, a couple of films and seats and a neighboring area with a fully stocked bar and a restaurant.\u00a0 As many as 300 Cataphiles have been reported to enter the catacombs each week via secret entrances.\u00a0 Non-Cataphiles and tourists are not welcome.<\/p>\n

Though this may be appealing to many, I myself, realizing how uneasy I was when I was alone during my visit,\u00a0 think I would rather remain in the areas that are monitored…and at least lit.<\/p>\n

\"\"As we exited into the gift shop, we took a moment to look around at the merchandise offered and to utilize their restrooms.\u00a0 Stepping out onto the streets, near the intersection of Avenue Rene Coty and Rue Dareau, however, it became clear that our ending point was not near the beginning of our journey.\u00a0 Though we were able to swiftly determine the correct direction to return,\u00a0 it might be beneficial if signage pointed visitors back to the direction in which they came.<\/p>\n

Where else in the world do you get to explore a city from below?\u00a0 For this reason, the Catacombs are a “must-see” and should not be missed!\u00a0 And, for those interested in Parisian history, this is for you!<\/p>\n

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.<\/p>\n

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The Catacombs of Paris<\/strong><\/p>\n