Parisian catacombs - the secret of a forgotten cave. Paris catacombs

The Catacombs of Paris are mentioned in French and Russian literature, cinematography, and are an object of mass art. They were formed during the active construction of Paris, when the townspeople needed a large number of limestone. It was taken on the territory of the city from the end of the 11th to the 18th century, until there was a threat of collapse of above-ground buildings. They were then used to bury people and remains brought from various cemeteries in Paris. Now the catacombs are a place where human bones are displayed, collected in one place in huge quantities.

If you need to find out how to get to the quarries, the entrance to them for organized groups is located in a specially equipped pavilion. It can be found near the Denfert-Rochereau metro station. The landmark will be the lion by the sculptor Bartholdi. The entrance to the catacombs of Paris is indicated on the city map, which can be bought at a newspaper stand. Tourists can explore 2 km underground passages, specially equipped to display the municipal crypt.

History of the catacombs

Underground quarries of Paris at the end of the 18th century. began to be used for the reburial of the deceased from the Cemetery of the Innocents, which was located in the Les Halles area. This ancient place became a source of infection for the residents of the city, and it was decided to disband it and remove the bones to an ancient dungeon.

The catacombs of Paris at this time consisted of brickwork and retaining galleries and wells from which limestone and gypsum were mined. They began to throw bones into them, and did this for 2 years. The remains of 6 million people were then thoroughly disinfected. Some of the processed skulls and bones were laid out in the form of walls, while the remaining parts of the skeletons were hidden behind them from the eyes of visitors. From that moment on, the catacombs began to arouse curiosity among the bored secular public. The cemetery near Paris was visited by Napoleon the Third with his son and other famous people. Gradually, sculptors began to create bas-reliefs and statues for this place, which made this place even more spectacular.

Louvre Museum

During the Second World War, a bunker was installed in part of the quarries German army, and 500 m from it was the headquarters of the Resistance movement.

In the 60s. 20th century, when there was a period cold war, bomb shelters were installed in the underground quarries of Paris that could protect Parisians during a nuclear strike.

Now the underground quarries of Paris are under threat. They are destroyed by underground waters, which erode the foundation and fastenings that support the walls of the dungeon. Some galleries are completely flooded.

Sign at the entrance: “Stop! This is the empire of death"

This scary landmark of Paris is guarded by the sports police and is only open to organized groups. Thousands of tourists visit it every day to explore this unusual place. To get inside faster, it is recommended to purchase tickets in advance. You can stand in line for up to 4 hours. The ticket office closes at 16:00, so you need to plan your visit in advance and go there in the morning.

What can you see in this place

Moving away from the ticket office with a ticket, the visitor finds himself in a corridor where there is a spiral staircase leading down 20 m underground, the air temperature here is +14°C and the humidity is high. This microclimate requires warm clothing.

The Parisian underground consists of long narrow corridors that connect to other passages in the form of a ring. On their walls are written the names of the Parisian streets under which the visitor passes. All unnecessary passages are blocked off, and employees of the underground museum are everywhere.

Cabaret Moulin Rouge

The halls have polished pillars that support the vault. Sculptures and bas-reliefs created to decorate burials are presented. There is a well where limestone was mined for Paris, and a fountain of the Samaritan woman. This ancient reservoir was designed to collect water needed by stonemasons.

"Fountain of the Samaritan Woman"

The crypt, for which the catacombs are famous, photos of which are known all over the world, is equipped with walls made of skulls and shin bones. Visitors are amazed by the long row of bones, carefully laid out to form a wall about 800 m long and reaching the height of the dungeon ceiling. Hidden behind it are mountains of human remains.

The crypt contains 2 black columns with a white diamond-shaped pattern. There are many inscriptions containing words warning about the frailty of life and making you think about simple human values.

On a guided tour, visitors will learn the history of these places, dating back to ancient times, when the place where the capital of France is located was the bottom of the sea. The guide demonstrates physical evidence of this, which is interesting
people who love geology. He will tell interesting stories and legends associated with the catacombs.

There is no cell phone service or basic amenities in the tunnels. At the exit, bags are inspected so that tourists do not steal the attraction for souvenirs. Fans of souvenirs in the form of skulls can purchase them at the kiosk at the exit from the catacombs.

Cemeteries. There's something about them that makes the hair on your head stand out, and for many of us, cemeteries are some of the creepiest and most forbidden places on the planet. What could be scarier than an ordinary cemetery? What do you say about the one that contains the remains of millions of Parisians and is located directly under the capital of France? Yes exactly.

For a city that is known for its love of fashion, romance and culture, Paris certainly hides beneath its streets dark secret. These little known facts the vast catacombs of Paris will leave you completely bewildered.

10. The remains of more than six million Parisians are kept here

In the 18th century, the cemeteries of the ever-growing city of Paris ran out of space. As if this were not enough, some bodies were not buried properly and caused the disease to spread. Ultimately, Parisian officials decided to ban cemeteries within the city limits and move the remains they contained elsewhere.

Officials turned their attention to several underground quarries in the city. Between the 1780s and 1814, authorities were able to organize the underground transportation of more than six million bodies collected from all existing cemeteries in Paris, transporting the dead using carts and placing them in their final resting place.

9. They're bigger than you think

Photo: Deror Avi

While the remains of six million people are scattered throughout the tunnels, most were placed in burial chambers known as ossuaries, where tours are often conducted. The fact is that there are more tunnels in the catacombs. They were made by Parisian miners who worked in the quarry before some of the catacombs were used as a cemetery.

Although it is believed that there are approximately 320 kilometers of tunnels, not all of them have been mapped and the rest remain uncharted territory. This makes us wonder what else might be hiding in these tunnels.

8. Roamers were made from catacombs secret place for swimming

Photo: Messy Nessy Chic

Apparently the idea of going to the local pool (or visiting a friend who has a pool) isn't satisfying enough for some people. Instead, they travel into the depths of the catacombs to cool off in some secret, unexplored pools that have become known among other catacomb enthusiasts as makeshift pools.

Of course, you'll need connections to get there. They say you'll also have to wade through murky waters and potentially claustrophobic tunnels before reaching the "oasis" that... in this case is a pit of water located in a giant underground cemetery.

7. Unknown groups are doing strange things here

In 2004, police conducting exercises in the catacombs stumbled upon something completely unexpected. Exploring the remote expanse of the vast tunnel system, they discovered a gigantic, fully equipped movie theater with a screen, all the necessities, a restaurant and bar, and professionally installed telephone and power lines. Even more creepy was the fact that the hidden camera took photos of the police as they entered the hall.

No one knows who did it, but a note was left at the scene that said, "Don't try to find us." This is probably not the best design for a cinema or a restaurant, but this space can also be put to good use, right?

6. Stream of corpses

The most popular place in Paris where the dead were buried (before they decided to use the catacombs for this) was Les Innocents - the oldest and most frequently used city cemetery. However, there was one problem with it: as mentioned above, to early XVIII centuries, so many people were buried on it that it overflowed. People living in the neighborhood began to complain about the pungent smell of decay that spread throughout the city.

To say “it was overcrowded” is an understatement, because when the cemetery was filled with water due to the flood, bodies began to rise from the ground to the surface. During the 1780s, people began to exhume bodies from all the old cemeteries and bury them in what we now call catacombs, and the rest is history.

5. Cataphiles create communities inside tunnels

Photo: Claire Narkissos

Cataphiles are a group of urban explorers with a penchant for spending great amount time in the depths of the catacombs for own pleasure and search for adventure. While their name may sound like a modern cult, they have a deep respect for both the dead and the tunnels, and create maps to keep people from getting lost in the vast necropolis.

They are insiders, and information on how to access the catacombs is kept within the close-knit group. Cataphiles have been creating their own community inside old quarries and tunnels for many years. Some people paint pictures here, decorate rooms, or have parties with other inhabitants of the tunnels, and some visit them simply to take a break from the outside world.

4. Vintage wine was once stolen here

It turns out that in addition to bones, rot and death, there is also some pretty good wine in the depths of the catacombs. At least that was the case in 2017.

A gang of French thieves drilled through the limestone walls of the catacombs and broke into a nearby vault, which was located under the apartment and contained about 300 bottles of vintage wine. The thieves escaped with all the wine worth €250,000.

3. Bones are collected in “decorative displays”

Photo: Shadowgate

When bones of the dead first began to be carted into the catacombs in the 1780s, they were simply left in the tunnels (after the priest said a prayer for the dead to rest in peace). Workers began arranging the old ones into shapes and compositions such as hearts and circles, and lining the walls with skulls and various other grisly remains.

One of the most iconic compositions is known as the Barrel. It consists of a large round pillar surrounded by skulls and tibias and simultaneously serves as a support for the ceiling of the room where it is located, which is called the Crypt of the Passion or the Rotunda of the Tibia. The barrel is a little geekier than a traditional prop, but if it does the job, there's no question.

2. Farmers began using the catacombs to grow mushrooms

Photo: Messy Nessy Chic

This practice began in the 19th century, when a Parisian named Monsieur Chambery ventured down into the tunnels and saw a scattering of wild mushrooms growing underground. He decided to use the abandoned tunnels to grow his own champignons de Paris (aka champignons), which was eventually accepted and approved by the Horticultural Society of Paris.

Soon farmers began to flock here from all over to establish their own farms. Growing mushrooms in the catacombs has become a thriving business enterprise. In fact, if you know where to look, you can probably find some farmers still growing mushrooms there for their souls. This makes sense given the darkness and humidity that prevails there. Who knows, perhaps the old bones lying nearby also served as a kind of fertilizer for the mushrooms.

1. During World War II, the catacombs were used by both sides

Photo: 28DaysLater.co.uk

Since the existence of the catacombs was common knowledge during World War II, and since they extend for many kilometers underground, it is not surprising that they were used during the fighting. What may surprise you is that they were used by both sides.

Members of the French Resistance actively used the underground tunnel system during the war to hide and plan attacks on the Germans. The catacombs ensured that they would not be noticed by German spies or detected by enemies.

What's even more shocking is that the Nazis were also present in the catacombs and built various bunkers (such as one under high school Lycee Montaigne). The remains of this bunker can still be seen today.

Initially, the Parisian catacombs were just quarries where building stone was mined since the time of Ancient Rome. Mining was carried out by open-pit mining for some time, but around the 10th century, supplies of useful material became scarce, and workers had to go deeper into the bowels of the earth. This is how the first underground mines were founded, which grew under city blocks. It is believed that the stones mined here are made from and.

The townspeople used the already exhausted tunnels for a variety of purposes: they set up breweries and warehouses in them, stored wine supplies, created prisons and even held parties. However, some of the dungeons were still abandoned and constantly threatened with collapse. Therefore, towards the end of the 18th century, King Louis XVI ordered an inspection of the former quarries and strengthening of weak points.

In addition to caring for the safety of the city streets, under which the underground tunnels passed, the monarch had another goal. The fact is that by that time the famous Cemetery of the Innocents, where victims of the bubonic plague were buried, among others, was overcrowded and turned into a hotbed of infections. Moreover, as a result of the collapse of the crypts, human remains filled the basements of nearby houses, and the situation became catastrophic. This is where the catacombs of Paris came in handy - they were turned into an Ossuary, a repository of hundreds of skulls and bones.

Today, no new burials are taking place in the dungeon, but all the old ones remain in place. The area open to tourists has become part of the city's Carnavalet Museum, and places inaccessible to excursions are periodically visited by diggers and thrill-seekers.

Interesting: The General Inspectorate IGC, designed to monitor the condition of the Parisian catacombs, has existed from the time of Louis XVI to the present day. Inspectors check the condition of tunnels, prevent collapses and have the most an accurate map dungeons.

How to get to the catacombs of Paris

Official entrance to the mysterious Parisian dungeons located on the square (Denfert-Rochereau) Denfert-Rochereau, next to the metro station of the same name. Thus, the easiest way to get here from any part of the city is by metro.

The exact address: 1 Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, 75014 Paris, France

How to get there from Charles de Gaulle airport:

Option 1

Electric train: On the lower level of Terminal 2, where the RER train station is located, you need to take the RER B line to the Denfert-Rochereau station, the journey takes 47 minutes.

On foot: from Denfert-Rochereau station to the entrance to the museum - about 100 meters.

How to get there from Gare du Nord:

Option 1

Metro: From Gare du Nord station take line 4 to Denfert-Rochereau station, the journey takes 20 minutes.

On foot: From the Denfert-Rochereau metro station the entrance to the catacombs of Paris is a 2-minute walk.

Option 2

Electric train: take the RER B electric train from the Gare du Nord station to the Denfert-Rochereau station, the journey takes 10 minutes.

On foot: from the RER station Denfert-Rochereau to the museum the distance is about 100 meters.

How to get there from Gare de Lyon:

Option 1

Electric train: From Gare de Lyon station, take line RER A to Châtelet - Les Halles station, the journey takes 2 minutes.

Electric train: at the Châtelet - Les Halles station, change to the RER B line and go to Place Denfert-Rochereau, the journey takes 7 minutes.

Option 2

Metro: From Gare de Lyon station, take line 14 and go to Bercy station, the journey takes 2 minutes.

Metro: at Bercy station, change to line 6 and go to Denfert-Rochereau, the journey takes 9 minutes.

Catacombs of Paris on the map

What to see

The Catacombs of Paris begin on the left bank of the Seine and go under the streets of the right bank. However, if we talk about their tourist part, it originates under Denfert-Rochereau Square, where the ticket offices are located. After purchasing tickets, visitors descend a spiral staircase about 20 meters to the front of the museum, where they can learn the history of Paris's most mysterious landmark.

Next, the route goes through illuminated tunnels with models of famous Parisian buildings, and along the way you can see many branches and passages carved by ancient stonemasons. Some walls are decorated with quite modern graffiti - they appeared in the 70s and 80s. There are also small stone sculptures and bas-reliefs carved directly into the walls. Some of them were created back in the days when active work was carried out in the mines.

Finally, having examined all the exhibits, tourists find themselves in the very heart of the dungeons - a huge necropolis. A sign above the entrance warns about this, but those who dared to go down into the darkness of the tunnels are unlikely to turn back.

Ossuary in the catacombs of Paris

All " City of dead“filled with bones, long walls, unique sculptures and tall columns are made of them. It is believed that somewhere here the remains of Charles Perrault, the legendary revolutionary Robespierre, the philosopher and mathematician Pascal, and the ministers Colbert and Fouquet are kept.

Previously, the bones were scattered in disarray, but now they are laid out in the tunnels in even rows, and the tunnels themselves are divided into sectors. In each sector there is a sign indicating the approximate time of burial and the cemetery from which the remains were taken.

The first to begin work in the catacombs of Paris was the head of the General Inspectorate of the IGC, Ericard de Thury. He, in fact, built a necropolis here, which already in 1806 turned into a tourist attraction. At the inspector’s suggestion, the famous inscriptions appeared - gloomy aphorisms carved both directly on the walls and on special tablets. The meaning of one of these inscriptions is “Stop! Here is the Kingdom of Death” - determined the unofficial name of the Ossuary.

The necropolis itself occupies several halls, in each of which you can see bizarre drawings made of skulls and bones. Visitors are allowed to follow a strict route that leads from hall to hall and ends in the inspector's gallery (i.e., the entrance to the catacombs of Paris and the exit from them do not coincide). A fine is possible for leaving the excursion trail - compliance with the rules is strictly controlled by the police.

Opening hours and ticket prices

The catacombs of Paris are open:

From Tuesday to Sunday - from 10:00 to 20:30;

The dungeons are closed on Mondays.

Ticket prices:

Children under 18 years old - free;
From 18 to 26 years old - 11 € ( ~823 rub. );
From 26 years and older - 13 € ( ~973 rub. );
Audio guide - 5 € ( ~374 rub. );

Audio guides with a 30-minute lecture are available except French also in English, Spanish and German (there is no Russian-language entry).

Double tickets can be purchased which also include entry to the Archaeological Crypt of Ile de la Cité. They are valid for 48 hours and cost 17 € ( ~1,273 rub. ) per person.

See Paris Catacombs for details.

Excursions

You can visit the Catacombs of Paris on your own or as part of a group excursion. But independent visitors are also launched in groups, since no more than 200 people can be in the dungeon at the same time. This is what causes the queues, which can often be seen at the entrance to the museum on Place Denfert-Rochereau, because each group spends about 40-45 minutes in the catacombs.

Excursions for individual visitors:

Held on Thursdays at 13:00;
Registration 15 minutes before the start of the tour;
Cost 20 € ( ~1,497 rub. ), including entrance ticket.

Excursions for organized groups:

Number of no more than 20 people;
Conducted on any working day;
Registration 2 months in advance on the website;
Cost 30 € ( ~2,246 rub. ) per person;

Children under 14 years of age are admitted to famous dungeons Paris only when accompanied by adults.

In 1955, the authorities banned independent visits to the Parisian catacombs (except for the open museum area). And in 1980, a special police department was created, the main task of which was to prevent illegal visits to underground mines.

Despite existing ban, in the 1970s and 80s, “underground parties” were very popular in Paris - young people, and especially representatives of informal movements, often organized discos and concerts here.

There are legends about the closed part of the dungeons: for example, there is a belief that famous Ghost Opera, who lives in box No. 5 of the Paris Opera Garnier, goes here at night - into the tunnels of the former quarries.

Another legend is associated with a guard monk from the late 18th century. Once Philibert Asper, living at the abbey of Val-de-Grâce, wanted to try wine from the monastery cellar, which was directly connected to the dungeons. Alas, the lost watchman was found only 11 years later, and by that time it was possible to recognize him only by the surviving scraps of clothing.

Memorial plaque erected to watchman Philibert Asper

The Catacombs of Paris are not recommended for pregnant women, as well as persons with claustrophobia, heart disease, mental disorders. In addition, it is worth keeping in mind that the spectacle may be difficult for impressionable visitors.
The underground museum does not have conditions for people in wheelchairs, as well as for those who have serious diseases of the musculoskeletal system and have difficulty moving. Along the route you will have to climb a staircase of 131 steps.
When visiting, it is better to choose comfortable sports shoes, since the stone floors of the tunnels have an uneven surface and in some places can be slippery from moisture.
You should not take too bulky bags or other large items with you - they will not be allowed inside with them, and there is no storage room or wardrobe here. The maximum allowable size of a bag or backpack is 40x30 centimeters.
It is always cool in the dungeons of Paris, the temperature at any time of the year is +14 degrees. In summer, it's worth bringing a sweater or light jacket.
In the museum, it is prohibited to eat or drink, touch exhibits (including bones), take photographs with flash, or use a tripod. Taking photos without flash is allowed.

The mysterious and incredibly ancient catacombs of Paris attract tourists no less than the above-ground part of the city with its palaces and gardens. Moreover, perhaps this is where you should rush first, because these dungeons may one day simply disappear. Despite the fact that some of the tunnels are filled with concrete, the underground waters of the Seine do their job year after year and erode the fortifications. Alas, ancient quarries are constantly under threat of destruction. But for now this historical monument is still open, it can be part of an interesting walk around Paris. Together with him it is convenient to visit the Luxembourg Gardens, the Montparnasse Tower, the Museum, located just 1.5 kilometers away contemporary art, the Bourdelle house-museum and a lot of other interesting places.

August 29th, 2013

Under the pavements Paris there are hundreds of kilometers of galleries. In ancient times, they served as quarries, from where later, in the Middle Ages, limestone and gypsum were mined for the construction of the city. These underground tunnels rich story.

Limestone and gypsum have been mined on the banks of the Parisian Seine since antiquity. And already by the 12th century development underground resources constituted one of the most important areas economy. The fact is that new fashion trends required completely different architectural solutions. In just a few centuries, dozens of abbeys, cathedrals, churches, and castles were built in Paris, including the well-known Louvre palace complex and Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral.

By the 15th century, developments were already taking place on two levels. It turned out that the network of quarries now had a second floor, located much lower. Special wells equipped with winches were installed near the exits. They lifted huge stone blocks to the surface. If in the 12th century mining was carried out on the outskirts of the city, then by the 17th century the areas allocated for quarries had increased so much that almost all of Paris was literally above the void.

All this led to more frequent collapses of underground galleries. At the beginning of the 18th century, the long underground corridors began to be fortified, and the mining of gypsum and limestone was prohibited. Today, a network of catacombs is located throughout the territory of Paris. The total length of the underground galleries is about 300 kilometers, but most of them are located on the left bank of the Seine.

However, the former Parisian quarries, after the cessation of further development of limestone, found new uses. In 1763, the Parliament of Paris decided to move all cemeteries located within the fortress walls to the catacombs. The state was prompted to do this by the catastrophic overcrowding of final resting places. Sometimes 1,500 people were buried in the graves, and huge mounds rose above the sidewalks at a height of up to 6 meters. In addition, robbers, sorcerers and other dangerous people settled en masse in the cemeteries.

In addition, in 1780, the wall separating the Cemetery of the Innocents from residential buildings on the neighboring street, Rue de la Lingerie, collapsed. The basements of the houses were filled with the remains of the dead mixed with sewage. And then the Parisian authorities decided to move the burials to the former Tomb Issoire quarries outside the city limits.

The underground necropolis has been opened to visitors. Although it was intended to bury only ancient bones from the Cemetery of the Innocents here, over the years of revolutions many bodies of the dead and executed were thrown into the catacombs. Remains that had previously rested in other city cemeteries were also reburied here. As a rule, this was due to the changing political situation. This is how the relics of the ministers ended up in the catacombs Louis XIV- Colbert and Fouquet, revolutionary figures Danton, Lavoisier, Robespierre and Marat. Famous French writers also found refuge in the former quarries - Francois Rabelais, Charles Perrault, Jacques Racine, physicist Blaise Pascal, whose remains were transferred here from closed city cemeteries...

During the entire existence of the Parisian catacombs, many inexplicable things happened. mysterious cases. One of them was described in the Gazette de Tribuno in the section of the court chronicle dated March 2, 1846. The note said: “Not far from the site of the demolition of old buildings, where soon a new one will take place The street connecting the Sorbonne and the Pantheon (rue Cujas) is the construction site of a certain wood merchant named Lérible. The site borders a residential building located away from other buildings. Every night a real stone rain falls on him. Moreover, the stones are so large, and an unknown hand throws them with such force that they cause visible damage to the building - windows are broken, window frames are broken, doors and walls are broken, as if the house had suffered a siege. An ordinary person is clearly unable to do this. A police patrol was installed at the merchant’s house, and guard dogs were released at the construction site at night, but it was not possible to establish the identity of the destroyer.” Mystics assured: it’s all about the disturbed peace of the dead from the catacombs. However, there was no opportunity to test this theory - the mysterious rockfalls stopped as suddenly as they began.

And remember “The Phantom of the Opera”:

“Later it became known that Eric simply found this secret corridor, and for a long time only he alone knew about its existence. This passage was dug during the times Paris Commune, so that the jailers could take their prisoners directly to the casemates equipped in the basements, because the Communards captured the building shortly after March 18, 1871 and set up a launch pad at the top balloons, who carried their inflammatory proclamations throughout the surrounding area, and at the very bottom they made a state prison.”

- St. Petersburg: Red Fish TID Amphora, 2004.

Charles Garnier, who won the competition for best project opera house, did not suspect that construction would take almost fifteen years: having begun during the empire, it would end under the republic. He also did not imagine the events that his brainchild would experience.

Opera at the beginning of construction.

The year is 1861. The site for construction has been determined. And the first task: a strong, deep foundation capable of supporting the frame structure of the stage weighing 10 thousand tons and lowered 15 meters underground. In addition, water should not have penetrated into the basements, since theatrical props were going to be stored there. They began to dig a pit, and from the second of March to the thirteenth of October, eight steam engines pumped out water around the clock - groundwater ran from the Place de la République to the Palace of Chaillot, fed by streams flowing into the Seine. To ensure the safety of the basements, Garnier decides to build double walls.

At the very beginning of construction, when there was nothing but this dungeon, one new worker came to the construction site, and, having carefully examined the dungeon, enthusiastically shared with Garnier, not knowing who he was: “How beautiful! Just like a prison!” Garnier wondered what kind of life this guy must have had if prison was for him a model of beauty. The worker’s words, as it turned out later, were prophetic.

Unfinished opera house in 1896

« So, the Viscount and I... turned the stone and jumped into Eric's dwelling, which he built between the double walls of the theater foundation. (By the way, Eric was one of the first masonry masters for Charles Garnier, the architect of the Opera, and continued to work secretly, alone, when construction was officially suspended during the war, the siege of Paris and the Commune.)»

"The Phantom of the Opera" by Gaston Leroux [trans. from fr. V. Novikova].
- St. Petersburg: Red Fish TID Amphora, 2004

On July 19, 1870, France declared war on Prussia. Bismarck's troops attacked French army defeat after defeat, and already in September Paris found itself in a state of siege. There could be no talk of any continuation of construction. The unfinished Opera building was located near Place Vendôme, the theater of military operations, and the troops took advantage of the huge premises of the future theater. Food warehouses were set up here to supply military and civilians with provisions, and there was also a camp hospital and an ammunition depot. In addition, apparently, an air defense complex (or a platform for balloons) was located on the roof.

In January 1871, the siege of Paris was lifted. Due to the hardships of the state of siege, Charles Garnier became seriously ill and in March went to Liguria to receive treatment. In his place he left assistant Louis Luwe ( Louis Louvet), who regularly informed Garnier about the state of affairs at the Opera.

The architect left Paris on time, because at the same time unrest began in the city, which resulted in a revolution. The leaders of the Commune planned to replace Garnier with another architect, but did not have time - a 130,000-strong army led by the future President of France, Marshal MacMahon, approached Paris.

Commune. Battle in the catacombs. Photo from modern catacomb exhibitions

Perhaps this is what the passage of the Communards looked like. Photo from the catacombs, see source.

There are no direct indications of this, but it is likely that in the Opera, underground, the Communards set up a prison; the basement premises looked too tempting. It is known that at the end of the Commune in 1871, executions of monarchists were carried out in the catacombs of Paris. Who knows, maybe it was just for the Grand Opera.

Paris catacombs In general, the place is quite famous - it’s no joke, their length is over 300 kilometers! (A small part of the tunnels is officially open to visitors). Moreover, the catacombs occupy only one eight hundredth of all the underground structures of modern Paris!

In 1809, the catacombs took on their modern look: corridors full of neat rows of bones and skulls - to impress visitors as much as possible. About six million Parisians are buried here - almost three times the city's current population. The latest burials date back to the era French Revolution, the earliest - to the Merovingian era, they are more than 1200 years old. The catacombs were built in former limestone quarries; local stone was used by the ancient Romans; Notre Dame and the Louvre were built from these stones.

Republican troops drove the Communards out of the Opera on May 23, and on May 28 the Commune ceased to exist. And in June Charles Garnier returned to Paris. September 30, 1871 construction works the theater resumed, and on January 5, 1875, the grand opening took place.

“I soon began to inspire such confidence in him that he took me for a walk to the shore of the lake - he jokingly called it Avernsky - and we rode in a boat on its leaden waters.”

"The Phantom of the Opera" by Gaston Leroux [trans. from fr. V. Novikova].
- St. Petersburg: Red Fish TID Amphora, 2004.

Diver in the tank

There is no lake under the theater building. There is a water reservoir 55 meters long and 3.5 meters deep. Catfish live in it and are fed by Opera employees. You can't go boating around the reservoir.- and was never possible due to the ceilings being too low. Only diving enthusiasts can get into it.

The basements, as required by safety regulations, are electrified and well lit. However... nevertheless, the Paris tunnel network is so extensive and varied that it leaves much to the imagination. And who said that by giving free rein to his imagination and inventing an underground lake, Gaston Leroux deceived us in the main thing - in Eric’s reality. The best way to hide a secret is in plain sight - in the first lines of the novel, in which the author claims that the Phantom of the Opera really existed.

Storage tank

And in November 2012, the French TV channel "TF1" aired a new five-minute report dedicated to underground lake Grand Opera. This report includes rare footage underground reservoir, tells about its history and structure, about how and why it is now used... Not without mentioning the Phantom of the Opera, of course. Excerpts from this report were shown by news channels in other countries, including in Russia - our First TV channel reported about it.

During the Second World War, a bunker was equipped in one of the quarries, where the secret headquarters of the invaders was located, and just 500 meters from it was the headquarters of the leaders of the Resistance movement. During the Cold War, bomb shelters were also placed there, where Parisians were supposed to be evacuated in the event of a nuclear attack.

Today the catacombs are one of the most popular places for excursions, but only a small part of them is open to the public. The entrance is located on Place Denfert-Rochereau. On the walls of the galleries there are signs with the names of the streets passing above. Under the most significant buildings, images of a lily flower, a symbol of the French monarchy, were previously embossed. But after the revolution, most of these drawings were destroyed.

On both sides of the long tunnels lie endless rows of human bones topped with skulls. Since the air here is dry, the remains are not very susceptible to decomposition. The rest, they say, are controlled by special underground police. Rumor has it that these secret tunnels are inhabited by ghosts and even the living dead.

One of the legends about the Parisian catacombs tells about a fantastic creature that lives in the galleries under Montsouris Park. They say that it has amazing mobility, but moves only in the dark. In 1777, Parisians often encountered him, and these meetings, as a rule, foreshadowed the death or loss of someone close.
Another legend is associated with the disappearance of people without a trace. So, in 1792, the watchman of the Val-de-Grâce church, taking advantage of the revolutionary confusion, got into the habit of making raids for bottles of wine stored in a dungeon under the nearby abbey. One day he went for another “catch” and never returned. Only 11 years later, his skeleton was discovered in the dungeon...

There are rumors that these days numerous sects have chosen the catacombs for their rituals. In addition, the so-called cataphiles (people passionate about the history of underground Paris) and “underground tourists” are regulars of these places.

Another mystical dungeon Paris lies under the Grand Opera House. The building has a complicated history. The construction of the theater almost failed due to groundwater, accumulated under the foundation. Because of this, they could not lay down the façade. In the end, the architect Charles Garnier came up with a solution - to fence off the basement with a double wall. It was here that the writer Gaston Leroux, the author of the famous novel “The Phantom of the Paris Opera”, located his fictional “torture room”, which was later adapted into several films and one musical... In 1871, Communards were executed in these basements, and a year later there was a terrible fire here. ...

The Phantom at the Grand Opera is by no means an author's invention. According to legend, a mysterious ghost still appears in one of the lodges to this day. Moreover, the contracts of opera house directors always contain a clause prohibiting the rental of box No. 5 in the first tier to spectators.

Once, in 1896, Faust was performed at the opera. When the actress, diva Caron, playing the role of Margarita, said the line: “Oh, silence! Oh, happiness! An impenetrable secret! - a massive chandelier made of bronze and crystal suddenly fell from the ceiling. For some unknown reason, one of the counterweights that supported this colossus broke. The seven-ton structure collapsed on the heads of the spectators. Many were injured, but by some lucky chance only one concierge died... Everyone saw a mystical sign in the incident. To this day he is credited with the antics of the Phantom of the Opera.

What is an ossusary?

OSSUARY (from Latin os, genus ossis - bone), a container for ashes, ashes, bone remains remaining after a corpse is burned. Corpse burning was widely practiced among Turkic and Middle Eastern peoples in various historical periods as the main action in preparing the deceased for burial, but ossuaries were especially widespread among the Zoroastrians. The ossuary was used to collect ashes from a cooled funeral pyre.

The ossuaries themselves, mostly clay (also stone or alabaster), had the shape of a vessel covered with a lid, on which the “face” of the deceased was sometimes symbolically depicted in sculpture or relief. Sometimes memorial signatures of a benevolent nature were scratched on the walls of the vessel. It could be made in the form of a chest, rectangular or square box. The walls and lid could be inlaid with stone, tiles and other materials. Ossuaries were either collected into family burial vaults or buried in the ground.

Now let's walk through the catacombs with a blogger samnamos

Diagram of the catacombs of the GRS system. The original origin of the workings is dated 1260. Due to frequent landslides, a decree was issued in 1813 banning further development systems.

2. Karst map of underground workings throughout Paris. In 1777, due to numerous failures in the south of the city, by decree of King Louis XVI, the General Inspectorate of Quarries was established, the task of which was to draw up a plan for all quarries and their strengthening. This was the first state of its kind. structure in the world. Over the course of a century, dozens of underground workers and engineers, even during the Revolutions, strengthened, filled in and mapped the numerous galleries and chambers of the workings of the former quarries.

3. We descend along a very narrow spiral staircase to the -10 m mark. Here there is a small gallery and the next approach to the ~ minus 25 m mark.

4. The first impression is a little ordinary. I expected to see something similar to the systems in the Moscow region. Everything is much more civilized.

5. Some basements of houses located on top are connected to the system.

6. Similar corridors spread out for tens of meters to various entrances, gradually flowing into one channel (Christmas tree shape)

7. One of the drifts with access to the basement.

8. Often the masonry is not hewn

9. Previously, at this place there was a chamber of limestone workings, which was completely filled up during strengthening work and covered with stone from the outside.

10. From a different angle. In the background you can see a door leading to a ventilation shaft connected to the subway, judging by the sound of trains passing somewhere nearby.

Catacombs of Paris (France) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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The Parisian catacombs are quite difficult to name business card cities, but anyone who wants to find themselves in an unusual, mysterious and slightly frightening place will definitely like them.

The Catacombs are a network of underground and winding tunnels created during the process of quarrying limestone to build the cathedrals and palaces of Paris. Speaking in the language of numbers, the local catacombs are:

tunnels and caves with a length, according to various estimates, from 190 to 300 kilometers
underground “territories”, the area of which exceeds 11 thousand square meters
burial place of almost 6 million people
an attraction visited by about 160 thousand people annually
2.5 kilometers of passages open to tourists

The journey to the famous catacombs begins from a small pavilion, near the exit to the Denfert-Rochereau metro station. A landmark can be the sculpture of a lion created by the creator of the Statue of Liberty, Frederic Bartholdi. Exact address: 1, avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy. Opening hours: Tue-Sun 10:00–17:00, cost of visiting - 11-13 EUR, admission free for children under 14 years of age. Entrance only as part of a guided tour; independent visits are prohibited.

A brief excursion into history

It is not known for certain in what century the underground work began, but by the 17th century, part of the city’s residential areas were under tunnels. The city grew, resulting in the threat of collapse. And in the second half of the 18th century, King Louis XVI issued a decree on the General Inspectorate of Quarries. Inspectorate workers created reinforcement structures to prevent the destruction of the underground network.

Speaking about the catacombs, we cannot fail to mention the Ossuary - one of the main components of the tunnel network.

The history of the place began in the 11th century with the Cemetery of the Innocents. Victims were also buried here. St. Bartholomew's Night, and those who died from the bubonic plague. In total, about 2 million people found their refuge here! The necropolis, naturally, turned into a hotbed of deadly infections, as a result of which, in 1763, burial within the city walls was prohibited.

The remains were removed, disinfected and stored in the already abandoned Tomb-Isoire quarry at a depth of more than 17 meters. Bones and skulls were stacked on top of each other, resulting in a wall growing out of the remains. In 1786, the Ossuary was founded in the catacombs of Paris, 780 meters of galleries arranged in a circle where the remains of the dead are kept.

The place received an unspoken name - the City of Darkness.

During the occupation by German troops Partisans hid underground in Paris, and crazy parties were held in the 1980s.

What can you see

Inside the dungeon, in addition to many bones and skulls, there are various monuments and exhibits, on the walls - drawings (including “modern” authors), as well as clear traces of the work of stonecutters.

Along the walls underground gallery passes the “black line”, which served as a guide line for workers. It was created long before electricity was installed here. Having walked through the “labyrinth”, you find yourself in the “atelier” - a wide part of the catacombs, preserved almost in its original form. The underground necropolis centuries ago was decorated with bas-reliefs and sculptures, but not many of them have survived to this day. The route ends in the inspector's gallery.

Prices on the page are as of November 2018.