The Catacombs of Paris

Okay, so this post isn’t necessarily going to follow past posts. It is about a pretty famous tourist attraction in Paris, but for the first time it’s something I wouldn’t be too keen on experiencing myself. The topic was brought up with some friends of mine during the week, and despite my own personal aversion to underground and enclosed spaces, I found it too interesting not to write about. So despite the fact that this blog usually centers around things I personally want to see, I’m going to be writing about the catacombs of Paris.

Catacombs Paris

The Catacombs of Paris were originally quarries that had fallen into disuse. After the Cemetery of Innocents closed in 1785 due to overpopulation, all of it’s occupants were moved underground, along with the rest of the cemeteries surrounding the city, and always in the cover of nightfall with a procession of priests overlooking the transportation.

Since the final bones had been placed underground in 1814, the catacombs have drawn the interest of many, with their meticulous and slightly twisted structure. Many famous names of French history visited the hallways of graves, including Francis the first and Napoleon the third.

Now the Catacombs of Paris draw a slightly less royal crowd, people from all over the world come to tour the burial ground of six million Parisians. You can take an hour long tour, and if you’re not terrified of enclosed underground spaces then it can be an enjoyable, if not slightly creepy, adventure.

If you’re interested in secret tunnels and unsolved mysteries this is certainly somewhere  you could be interested in. Even as recently as 2004 unexplained events have taken place underneath the ancient city, when police found a theatre of sorts, with a fully stocked bar and food, that no one has been held accountable for. To this day the source of power for the underground theatre has also remained undetectable.

Not my cup of tea that’s for sure, but it holds so much history and secrecy perhaps it’s yours?

http://www.catacombes-de-paris.fr/english.htm

 

Sources:

http://www.historvius.com/the-catacombs-of-paris-82/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacombs_of_Paris

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacombs_of_Paris

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