The Paris catacombs have long been the subject of close attention both from the side of local residents and from the side of numerous travelers. What attracts such a huge number of visitors here annually? As a rule, this is a desire to get acquainted with the history of a great city. Although it is no secret to anyone that sometimes extreme people or adventurers go to Paris catacombs. These places are actually shrouded in mystery and mystery, and many years and years of research will be needed to answer many questions.
This article is aimed at telling about such an interesting and rather unknown object of the French capital as the underground city of the dead. The reader will find out the details, which, as a rule, do not tell tourists even the most experienced guides.
Section 1. General Description
The catacombs, stretching under the capital of France, are a system of tunnels that appeared under the city in the distant past.
Mysterious underground galleries have a length of more than three hundred kilometers. Historian scholars believe that ancient quarries arose as a result of the extraction of materials necessary for the construction of palaces and cathedrals in the city during the Middle Ages. Later, the dungeon became a grave for many people and turned into a huge cemetery. The number of Parisians buried here exceeds the current population of the French capital.
Even during antiquity, the Romans mined limestone in these places, but the mines were open. Gradually, with the growth of the city, the number of such manufactories increased. The main part of the tunnels appeared during the time of the French king Philip-Augustus, who ruled in 1180-1223, when limestone was used for the construction of protective shafts.
Section 2. Paris catacombs. History of occurrence
The total area of ​​underground tunnels formed during the development of limestone is approximately 11 thousand square meters. m
The first mining of limestone underground began under Louis XI, who for this gave land to the castle of Wovert. In the Renaissance, the areas of Paris grew rapidly, and by the XVII century. underground Parisian catacombs, photos of which can now be found in almost all guidebooks dedicated to the French capital, were in the city limits, which led to the risk of ground failures in the streets.
In 1777, King Louis XVI created an inspection for testing quarries, which is still valid today. For 200 years, the employees of this institution have been working to strengthen and prevent collapses in the dungeon. Many mines were flooded with concrete, but the fortifications are gradually eroded by the ground waters of the Seine, and the danger of collapses remains.
Section 3. Brief historical background
The history of the Paris catacombs is directly related to the life of the townspeople. How? We offer you to get acquainted with several facts:
- During the World Exhibition in Paris (in 1878), the Catacombs Cafe was opened in the underground galleries of Chaillot. Many people say with confidence that it’s simply impossible not to visit this place.
- In the dungeons of the capital, champignons are grown, which is a favorite product in the national cuisine of France.
- The famous writer Victor Hugo created the greatest epic novel “Les Miserables”, the plot of which is closely connected with the underworld of Paris.
- During the Second World War, quarries were used by the leaders of the French Resistance. In the summer of 1944 a headquarters was organized there, which was located just 500 meters from the Nazi secret bunker.
- During the Cold War and the threat of nuclear attack, some of the dungeon tunnels were converted to bomb shelters.
- Paris Catacombs is one of the few films that was shot not on the set, but directly in the dungeons themselves.
Section 4. What is Ossuary?
In the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church did not prohibit burial near churches, most of which were located in cities. The innocent cemetery, the largest in Paris, has buried more than two million people. There lie the remains of not only ordinary parishioners, but also people who died during the plague and died in the massacre of St. Bartholomew’s night. Also, hundreds of unidentified bodies are buried in the cemetery.
Not everyone knows that often the graves reached a depth of 10 meters, and the embankment of the earth increased to 3 meters.
It is not surprising that the city cemetery subsequently became a source of the spread of the infection, and in 1763 the parliament banned mass graves within the city. In 1780, after the collapse of the wall separating the graveyard from the urban zone, the cemetery was completely closed, and no one was buried again within Paris.
For a long time, the remains after disinfection were exported to the underground quarries of Tomb Isoire. Workers laid bones at a depth of more than 17 meters, resulting in a wall and almost 780 meters of galleries with the remains of the dead, which were arranged in a circle. So in Paris catacombs in 1786, Ossuary was founded. About six million people found peace here, including many well-known personalities, but even more so who were not known to anyone.
Section 5. Paris Catacombs today
According to tourists, getting into Ossuary does not even notice that it was at a depth of 20 meters. Here you can see wall paintings of the 18th century, various monuments and historical exhibits, an altar located in the mine for air supply.
Guests and locals allege that, paying close attention to the ceiling, you can see a black line - the "thread of Ariadne", which helped not to get lost in the galleries in the past, when there was no electricity. Now there are still places in the dungeon that have not changed since then: monuments and bas-reliefs erected at the graves of past centuries; well for the extraction of limestone; supporting pillars for the arch.
In general, it should be noted that the Paris catacombs (2014 is another confirmation of this) are becoming more and more popular attraction of the French capital.
Section 6. How to get inside
Entrance to the Paris catacombs is located next to the metro station "Danfer-Rochereau" (Denfert-Rochereau). Landmark - sculpture of a lion. Catacombs are open daily (except Mondays) from 10.00 to 17.00. The cost of the tour is 8-10 euros (children under 14 years old - free of charge).
By the way, experienced travelers are advised to pay attention to the fact that individual visits are prohibited.
Currently, visitors are available galleries with a length of 2.5 kilometers. There are also closed areas that are dangerous to visit. In November 1955, a law was specifically issued in Paris prohibiting stay in these places. And since 1980, individual police teams have been monitoring compliance with these rules.
Section 7. Why illegal visits are dangerous
Despite all the prohibitions, there are thrill-seekers who, at the risk of their lives, illegally enter the dungeon through sewer manholes, metro stations, etc.
Underground galleries with narrow and low labyrinths have complex passages where it is easy to get lost. So, in 1793, the guard of the church of Val de Grace tried to find old wine cellars in the quarries, but got lost. His remains were found only after many years, identifying the poor fellow by the keys and the remaining clothes.
There are many modern “heroes”, however, the local police are doing everything possible to prevent such grief-travelers inside.
In this country, in fact, there is a lot of interesting things: the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, amazing ancient cities, the ocean, endless vineyard fields, Paris catacombs ... France, however, should be remembered exclusively for positive moments and joyful minutes. Everyone who is already able to visit the inside of the facility is ready to dissuade you from committing a rash act.