In The 1780s, Carts Carried Bones And Skulls Down Into Underground Tunnels Late At Night, And So The The Paris Catacombs Were Born

One of the most thrilling places to fans of all things spooky in Paris is the Paris Catacombs.

You may have heard of them in passing, as they are considered one of the creepiest places in Europe.

During the 12th century, underground tunnels were dug in Paris. The tunnels contained limestone, which many buildings in the city were made out of, and mines were built as well.

Then, after a series of detrimental sinkholes occurred after buildings were constructed above these tunnels in the 1770s and 1780s, King Louis XVI ordered that the tunnels be propped up.

Once the late 1780s rolled around, the tunnels were given an entirely new purpose.

A famous cemetery located in the heart of the city, Cimetière des Innocents, had become overpopulated and treacherous.

It soon became an issue for the city, as the mass amount of bodies being placed there turned it into grounds for dangerous diseases and horrible odors. It got so overcrowded that bodies had to be thrown into pits due to a lack of space.

In a desperate effort to store the bodies in a new space, a decision was made to excavate the excess bodies from Cimetière des Innocents and store them in the underground tunnels. Thus, the Paris Catacombs were born.

Carts carried bones and skulls down into the underground tunnels, which were later named the Catacombs in 1786, late at night to avoid upheaval from city residents.

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