Paris 2024 Summer Olympics Destination – Catacombs
It’s October, the creepiest, spookiest time of the year. Therefore our Paris 2024 Summer Olympics Destination is the Paris Catacombs. The world famous ossuary has been attracting visitors for centuries. Personally, I don’t like the dark, the damp, or being underground. But if these conditions are appealing to you then the Catacombs is the place to be.
The catacombs came into existence in the late eighteenth century. The reason for their creation was tied to public safety. Health problems were related to the contents of the cemeteries. Therefore, the city decided to transfer the remains to an easily accessible site outside the city, the quarries under the plain of Montrouge. On April 7, 1786 the site was officially named “The Paris Municipal Ossuary” and became known as the Catacombs. Beginning in 1809, the public was allowed to visit by appointment.
Prior to opening to the public, Inspector Héricart de Thury rearranged the bones. They had been loosely piled but he rearranged them in a more decorative way. He arranged rows of tibiae alternating with skulls and behind them the remaining bones were piled. The remains of more than six million people rest there.
The Catacombs extend to a depth of 20 meters or about the height of a five story building. There are 131 steps to descend to the Catacombs but 112 steps to ascend to the surface. I suppose it’s better to have fewer steps to go up but I’m not sure how that happened. Anyway, once you are down there you can take the tour that is 1500 meters or just under a mile. It will take about an hour.
Paris 2024 Summer Olympics Destination – Catacombs
Fun fact: the term Paris Catacombs only refers to the part of the quarry that was transformed into the Ossuary. It does not refer to all the quarries that are underneath Paris and outside the city. To designate them as the Catacombs would be incorrect.
As I mentioned above, hanging out in cold, damp, dark places is not my thing. However, the Catacombs are still a historical site and may even provide a spiritual connection for some people. So if you will be in Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics it could be a place of interest. Let me know what you thought when you get back. Because that will be the only way I can experience it. À bientôt!
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