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Current New Yorker "The Invisible City Beneath Paris"

Posted by (US Pacific Northwest) on

The latest issue of The New Yorker has an interesting piece titled "The Invisible City Beneath Paris". While I was aware of the Catacombs and had once seen a video showing that the subterranean area was larger than I thought, until I read this article I was not aware of the large extent of this area beneath the city, which is described as "two hundred miles of galleries, rooms, and chambers."

I think I'm not supposed to provide a link to this, but if you can access the current issue, it may be of interest to those who find Paris fascinating.

Posted by
330 posts

Thank you, Kent! Am just leaving Paris this morning (sad!) and will enjoy reading the article.

Posted by
158 posts

When I saw the catacombs on Rick Steves' show it really disturbed me. I understand it's historical and the bones are very old... but they were still people. I wouldn't want to go down there, but I can see how it's fascinating too. It sounds like there is quite a lot more than just skeletons.

Posted by
1025 posts

It's a cultural thing, Sarah. In Europe there is a closer link between the dead and the living. The bodies of the dead (including their skeletons) are not shunned or feared, and often when they are displayed, they are done so reverently and with love. The Paris Catacombs, containing the bodies of more than 6 million souls, are a fascinating place to visit, as are other tombs and reliquaries across the continent. Every Catholic church has relics (usually bones) of a particular saint or group of saints.

As a group, we Americans seem to be more squeamish than most Europeans.

Posted by
10344 posts

The New Yorker article indicates there is much more under the City than just the Catacombs.

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