The Catacombs of Paris
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Paris has a lot to offer tourists. From the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre to Moulin Rouge, the opportunities are endless. We did many interesting things during our short stay there. One of the more unique experiences we had was a visit to the Catacombs of Paris.
I didn’t really have any idea what I was getting myself into when we ventured out the day of our Catacomb visit. We left our hostel and took the metro to the Catacombs entrance (we’d gone the previous day, but, as our luck would have it, it was closed). When we got there, we found ourselves at the back of a gigantic line that wrapped all the way around the block. Lines were everywhere in Paris! It seemed like we waited in huge lines no matter where we went. Luckily the weather was decent, so the wait wasn’t too excruciating. It was actually a pretty nice 2 hour wait. Jenny read Black Beauty to the kids and we ate the sandwiches we packed.
When we finally made it to the front of the line, we bought our tickets and headed down. And down and down and down. The tiny spiral staircase seemed like it would never end! By the time we finally reached the bottom I was a bit dizzy. We found ourselves in dark, cold, clammy rooms, with boards on the walls with information about the Catacombs and their history.
The Catacombs are a maze of tunnels beneath Paris that contain about 3 decades of the city’s bones. As the city grew, cemeteries ran out of space. Improper burial techniques were also a problem, and caused contaminated water and spreading of disease. Cemeteries were condemned and the bones needed to be moved. The decision was made to move them to a section of underground quarries (now known as the Catacombs) and the bones were moved from 1786 to 1788. They were moved as respectfully as they could, with a blessing before they were moved and priests accompanying them to their new burial spot. Bones continued to be buried here until 1814.
After leaving the information room, we continued into a serious of tunnels. We followed the dark paths for what seemed like a very long time. I am slightly claustrophobic and did not enjoy being in such small spaces so deep underground. I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible! Unfortunately for me, we hadn’t even reached the worst part of the labyrinth.
Finally seeing the bones was very strange. I have never seen so many bones in my life. And they were all real. These were all real people, who ate and walked and had friends and family and lives! And their bones were all just here, namelessly, in a small dark cave, carefully placed so that people can walk by and stare at them. And touch them. And move them around if they so pleased. I didn’t like it. It seemed really eerie. And disrespectful to all the 6 or 7 million people buried there.
I was glad when we finally escaped the maze of bones. We climbed up and up and up. And after we had our bags checked for stolen bones, we were free! I was grateful to be able to see the blue sky. I was grateful for the fresh air! The Catacombs were a unique experience, but I think it was definitely a onetime thing for me.
Posted on: August 24, 2010 | Categories: France, History
…and me, too! Why they would take people’s bones and stack them in shapes like sculptures with the skulls all in a row and other bones forming neat walls is beyond me. There were different bones designs everywhere you looked. Wouldn’t you think they would have reburied them and covered them out of respect? it was awful when some parents didn’t say anything to their children when they picked up a couple of bones and banged them together. Ugh! what and experience. Of all the stairs we climbed in Paris, Meagen and are were happiest to climb the stairs up and out of the Catacombs!
Meagan, the photos you posted on Facebook of the Catacombs were amazing. It would have taken ALOT of space to bury all of those people “traditionally”. Don’t you feel that, in a way, they have been given more respect in death than they may have received in life?