The Catacombs Research Paper

Transcribed on the entrance of the Parisian Catacombs are the words, “Arrete! C’est ici l’empire de la Mort.” Translated to English, this means, “Stop! This is the empire of the Dead”(Gup). Past this interesting transcription lies the largest ossuary in the world (Geisweiller). Containing six million bodies and bones, this is more massive than the largest cemetery on Earth, the Wadi Al-Salaam, which contains over five million bodies (Wright). Some people go into Paris for the sole purpose of venturing into these Catacombs, some more devoted than others. While catacombs can easily be connected to cemeteries, their complex histories, structures, and audiences are harder to explain.

The history of different catacombs can be dated to pre-Christian

times, and cemeteries can be connected to them. Romans and Egyptians thought cemeteries were unsanitary, so they made catacombs outside of city limits to transfer bodies and bones to (“Cemetery” Encyclopedia Britannica). From 0-500 A.D., these catacombs were used, but invasions by Germanic tribes caused them to be filled with debris in 900 A.D. They were soon rediscovered in 1578 (“Catacombs” Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). The Parisian Catacombs however, had a different history. During the 1700s, Paris was a growing city. While the cemeteries were getting overfilled, the old mining caves they used to build them were caving in and leveling buildings (Geisweiller). “Centuries of death from the [bubonic] plague, smallpox, war, and France’s infamous guillotine resulted in the city’s cemeteries literally overflowing, putting people at risk of disease”(Wright). In 1785, they decided to use the bones from the cemeteries to backfile the caves instead of using the resources mined. In 1786, they started to fill the caves. Finally, in 1810, Napoleon III ordered workers to put the bones into artistic patterns that are seen today (Wright). Not only is there history in the patterns and bones, but there is history in the structures as well.
The many structures in the Parisian Catacombs are beautiful, yet haunting at the same time.

These catacombs are the biggest ossuary in the world, so immense that a man named Philibert Aspairt entered them in 1793, and his remains were not found until 1804 (Gup). The catacombs are 65 feet underground. The ceiling is over six feet tall, and there are 17 stops along the way through these catacombs (Wright). “Walls and ceilings of plaster were customarily painted with fresco decorations, and in these can be studied the beginnings of Christian art”(“Catacombs” Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition). Other than these arts, there are structures made out of the bones themselves, such as Sacellum Crypt, which contains an altar in the middle of the room and skulls that are pinned between bones grinning at visitors. Another is the Cemetery of Innocents, where the first bones were set up in 1786. The Crypt of Passion contains a wall of skulls that hide a pillar holding up the catacombs. A lamp used by the miners and workers in the Catacombs is the oldest artifact in the ossuary (Price 74-75). Other times people make structures out of the rocks instead of the skulls themselves. For instance, a man named Decure, who was a veteran of Louis XV’s army was imprisoned in a fortress at Balearic Islands, worked at the catacombs after he was released. When he was working in the Catacombs, he built a replica of the fortress. After five years, he completed the project and called it l’Atelier. He soon died after he was digging a staircase and the cave caved in on him (Geisweiller). There are numerous other structures, but the list is too long to go on with. The audience has played a role in these structures, and are as interesting as these

things.
The people that go through these catacombs are as harmful as they are unique. People have stolen bones for souvenirs, and because of this, there is a room at the end of the tour containing a table and two guards. On the table is a skull, and wedged between the jaw are two tibias, in the shape of a skull and crossbones. The guards check your bag to see if you have stolen or taken bones (Gup). Other people are more attracted to these catacombs, though. Such as one night in 1897, where a concert was held in the Tibias Rotunda at midnight. Self-described as “spiritual and profane”(Geisweiller), this concert invited over one hundred members of the Parisian High Society and 45 musicians (Gup). On the invitation, the people who went had to park their carriages away from the catacombs to avoid suspicion from bystanders who would “...cause a nuisance...”(Geisweiller). Once the concert was revealed to the public, it was thought of as scandalous, two catacomb workers were fired for assisting the audience (Gup). Even though these catacombs can be used for entertainment, they can be used for war tactics and defense. A great example of this was during World War II, the French Resistance went through the tunnel system to their advantage and fight the Wehrmacht; the German army during World War II (Geisweiller). Other times the catacombs can be used for pretty much anything. Such as in 2004, cataphiles, or people obsessed with catacombs, created a mini theater in an unauthorized part in the catacombs. This theater was complete with electricity, internet, and a security system. The people who made it were never found. However, they only left a note that read, “Don’t look for us”(Wright). Even though this can be very interesting, the general public is causing the catacombs harm. White fungus that is attacking the bones is caused from people's bacteria, heat, and condensation from breath. The Ministry of Cultural Affairs has held meetings on whether or not to close down the catacombs (Geisweiller). The histories, structures, and audiences of the catacombs have had much influence in different countries and cities, not just France or Paris alone.
While catacombs can easily be connected to cemeteries, their complex histories, structures, and audiences are harder to explain. The histories are very interesting, and their connections to cemeteries are very eerie. The structures in the catacombs are very creepy, and have been attracted many audiences, who have done as much harm as good. The meanings behind each of these histories, structures, and audiences, are very powerful, and it would be a shame to see it closed.