Episode 589: Paris Crypts: The House of 6 Million Corpses

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we do some deadly spelunking and talk about the Catacombs of Paris. Under the city of lights, there are over 200 miles of tunnels, many of them filled with the corpses of over 6 million long-dead Parisians. How it came to be is a strange story filled with cemetery collapses, Roman mines, and secret concerts held by kings.

So, hundredds of tunnels and mines were dug under ancient Paris. These tunnels led to collapses of buildings, and with cemeteries full to bursting on the surface, sometimes dead bodies would be swept away or into basements as the ground shifted.

Eventually, the city decided to move the bodies out of every cemetery in Paris and put them down in these old mine shafts. Now called the crypts of catacombs of Paris, they are lined with millions of bones and skulls, many of them crafted into architectural wall art. They played a role in WWII and the revolution, and they are even a spot for hipster night life and hauntings. So, if you like things that go “le bump” in the night, this one is for you!

Visit Our Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacombs_of_Paris

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/paris-catacombs-180950160/

https://thetourguy.com/travel-blog/france/paris/catacombs/most-bone-chilling-paris-catacombs-legends-and-stories/

https://bigthink.com/strange-maps/paris-catacombs

https://www.thetravel.com/creepy-facts-didnt-know-paris-catacombs/