Visit the underworld

Visit the underworld. In the late 18th century, when major public health problems tied to the city’s cemeteries led to a decision to transfer their contents to an underground site. Paris authorities chose an easily accessible site that was, at the time, located outside the capital: the former Tombe-Issoire quarries under the plain of Montrouge.

The first evacuations were made from 1785 to 1787 and concerned the largest cemetery in Paris, the Saints-Innocents cemetery. The site was consecrated as the “Paris Municipal Ossuary” on April 7, 1786, and, from that time forward, took on the mythical name of “Catacombs”, in reference to the Roman catacombs, which had fascinated the public since their discovery.

Starting in 1809, the Catacombs were opened to the public by appointment. During the nineteenth century, visiting arrangements constantly changed, from total closing to monthly or quarterly openings. The Paris Catacombs are now open to everyone without requiring authorization and welcome nearly 550,000 visitors yearly. More