The Catacombs of Paris
Beneath Paris, the bones of millions lie in old quarry tunnels, where one man got lost in 1793 and wasn't found for 11 years.
What was reported
In the late 18th century, Paris's overflowing cemeteries were emptied and the bones of around six million people were moved into old limestone quarries beneath the city. Part of the network was arranged into ossuaries with walls of stacked bones and opened to visitors as the Catacombs.
Legend tells of Philibert Aspairt, a hospital doorkeeper said to have gone down in 1793 and lost his way; he was found in 1804, not far from an exit, and a tomb marks the spot. Another story tells of a video camera found in the tunnels, showing someone becoming lost in the dark.
Explanations offered
The ossuary open to the public is only a small part of hundreds of kilometres of tunnels, most of them closed and illegal to enter, though explorers called 'cataphiles' roam them. The 'lost camera' footage is widely thought to have been staged. Aspairt's story is marked by a real tombstone, though its details are uncertain.
- When
- Bones moved there from 1786
- Where
- Paris, France
- Witnesses
- Visitors, workers and underground explorers
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.