The 18th Century Catacombs of Paris...

In the 18th century, the bones from all of the city's cemeteries were centralized in unused limestone quarries to become the Catacombs of Paris. The Catacombs were opened to the public at the beginning of the 19th century and have attracted large numbers of visitors. Touring the catacombs is not suitable for visitors of "a nervous disposition" and those brave enough to embark on the tour are advised they will cover two kilometers of underground tunnels and descend 130 steps below street level to begin their visit!

Entering the Catacombs, visitors are surrounded by the remains of six million Parisians, stacked in 780 meters of corridors running under the bustling streets above them. The skulls and bones of the Catacombs are carefully arranged and form decorative facades. The quarry corridors include walls which have been sculpted to look like fortresses, and near the cimetiere des innocents there is a chapel. There is a barrel shaped arrangement of skulls and bones in the Crypt of the Passion. It is said that in this crypt a concert, attended by scientists, scholars and artists, was held in 1897. The workers that knew of this illicit concert lost their job when their identities were discovered.