France · 1789Catacombs of ParisA whole population, unnamed, arranged as decoration. Who decided that, and when?The Catacombs of Paris are underground ossuaries in Paris, France, which hold the remains of more than six million people. The ossuary was created as part of the effort to eliminate the effects of the city's overflowing cemeteries. In addition to directing the stacking of skulls, femurs and tibias into the patterns seen in the catacombs today he used the cemetery decorations he could find (formerly stored on the Tombe-Issoire property; many had disappeared after the 1789 Revolution) to complement the walls of bones.
Photo: Noel Jenkins · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Catacombs & Underground · United Kingdom
Camden Catacombs
The open question
Tunnels under a busy city that most people never knew about. What else is down there that isn't on the maps?
On the record
The Camden Catacombs are a system of underground passages in Camden Town in north London underneath part of the Camden markets, constructed in the 19th century, and as of 2012 owned by Network Rail. They are not true catacombs as they were never used as repositories for dead bodies, instead being an underground area originally used as stables for horses and pit ponies working on the railways.
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More from Catacombs & Underground
France · 1789Catacombs of ParisA whole population, unnamed, arranged as decoration. Who decided that, and when?The Catacombs of Paris are underground ossuaries in Paris, France, which hold the remains of more than six million people. The ossuary was created as part of the effort to eliminate the effects of the city's overflowing cemeteries. In addition to directing the stacking of skulls, femurs and tibias into the patterns seen in the catacombs today he used the cemetery decorations he could find (formerly stored on the Tombe-Issoire property; many had disappeared after the 1789 Revolution) to complement the walls of bones.
Italy · 1578Catacombs of RomeMiles of passages carved by hand for the dead. How many people, and how many years, did that take?The Catacombs of Rome are ancient catacombs, underground burial places in and around Rome, some rediscovered since 1578, others even as late as the 1950s. It is unknown exactly how many catacombs are in Rome. The Catacombs of San Callisto are around 90 acres large, 12 miles long and contain four levels, extending to a depth of more than 20 meters underground. The Catacombs of Rome (Italian: Catacombe di Roma) are ancient catacombs, underground burial places in and around Rome, some rediscovered since 1578, others even as late as the 1950s.
Italy · 1822Catacomb of PriscillaWho dug all this, and where did all the rock go?The Catacomb of Priscilla is a large archaeological site on the Via Salaria in Rome, Italy, situated in what was a quarry in Roman times. The catacombs extend underground for over seven miles, making them one of Rome's most extensive catacombs. it was used for thousands of Christian burials from the late 2nd century through the 4th century.
Italy · 1857Catacomb of CallixtusWho dug all this, and where did all the rock go?The Catacomb(s) of Callixtus is one of the Catacombs of Rome on the Appian Way, notable for containing the Crypt of the Popes, which once contained the tombs of several popes from the 2nd to 4th centuries. Joseph Wilpert (1857-1944) directed photographs to be taken by "Pompeo Sansaini, accompanied by his son Renato." These were printed on salted paper and hand colored with watercolors by Carlo Tabanelli, who sat in front of the artworks in the catacombs to accurately reproduce the colors.