It took two years for all the bones from the Les Innocents to be transferred to the catacombs. In 1786, the former Tombe-Issoire quarries were blessed and consecrated, turning them into the Paris Catacombs. By this time, the French authorities were forced to take action.Įngraving depicting the Saints Innocents cemetery in Paris, around the year 1550. The situation persisted until 1780, when an unusually long period of spring rain caused a wall around the Les Innocents to collapse, resulting in the spilling of rotting corpses into a neighboring property. The Church, however, did not wish to disturb or move the cemeteries, and opposed the edict. In 1763, an edict was issued by Louis XV banning all burials from the capital. God of Death Shrine Unearthed in Mexico.Ancient catacombs of Malta to reveal their splendour.Quite naturally, people living close to such places began complaining about the strong stench of decomposing flesh and the spread of diseases from the cemeteries. It was only after during the second half of the 18 th century, however, that the former limestone mines (now under the city as it expanded over the centuries) were transformed into burial places.īy the 18 th century, Parisian cemeteries such as Les Innocents (the largest cemetery in Paris) were becoming overpopulated, giving rise to improper burials, open graves, and unearthed corpses.
This natural resource has been in use since the time of the Romans, and provided construction material for the city’s buildings, as well as contributed to the city’s growth and expansion. The Paris Catacombs have their origins in the limestone quarries situated on the outskirts of the city. SBoyd/ Flickr Origins of the Paris Catacombs The historic underground catacombs are the final resting place of millions of Parisians. It was not known exactly how the boys got lost, but this occurence, along with the recent Thai cave emergency rescue, highlights just how easy it can be to get lost or cut off in such environments. They were found by rescue dogs and were taken to hospital to be treated for hypothermia, reported The Guardian. Just last month, two teenagers were rescued from the catacombs after being lost in the vast network for 3 days. Locals are well aware of this, and, according to Bobrtimes, this year’s long, sweltering summer has seen an increase in illegal entrance to the catacombs as people seek a respite from the heat by using the subterranean pools as cooling zones.īut these desperate measures could have dire consequences. As the water table has risen under the city, many of these spaces are now filled with cool and clean water. However this hasn’t stopped some thrill-seekers venturing into the cavernous passages that have been home to thousands of upon thousands of bones of the dead. Some areas are open to the public as museums, but since 1955 entrance to the majority of the underground space is prohibited. These are the Paris Catacombs: a network of old caves, quarries and tunnels stretching hundreds of miles, and seemingly lined with the bones of the dead. Paris, the capital of France, is often called La Ville Lumière (meaning ‘The City of Light’), however, beneath this bustling European city of 12 million people, lies a dark subterranean world holding the remains of 6 million of its former inhabitants.
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