LES CATACOMBES
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The Catacombs of Paris, a fascinating tour of underground galleries housing millions of skeletons.
The largest ossuary in the world, the Catacombs of Paris contain over 6 million skeletons. Since Roman times, the Parisian subsoil has been exploited to provide plaster and stone. By the end of the 18th century, the capital boasted some 160 km of underground galleries. In 1780, the collapse of the Cimetière des Innocents led to the closure of all Parisian cemeteries within the city limits, and the transfer of the bones of thousands of deceased to part of the Paris quarries, at that time outside the city limits. The Catacombs are therefore part of the quarries beneath Paris. The ossuary was first opened to the public in 1809, and the last bone deposits were made some 50 years later, in 1860, during Haussmann's urban planning works. Today, the catacombs are accessible from Place Denfert-Rochereau, via a spiral staircase that descends 20 meters below ground. Claustrophobic visitors are warned: the visit takes place underground, with a veritable staging of death, complete with texts and inscriptions. Allow an hour for the 1.5-kilometer tour, with 131 steps down and 112 up. To prepare for your visit, remember to stay covered, even in summer! In the depths of Paris, the temperature doesn't exceed 14 degrees. Finally, it's forbidden to eat, drink or touch bones during the tour. An impressive walk steeped in history.
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