Underground careers of Paris

The underground Carrières of Paris are a whole of old underground careers connected between them by galleries of inspection. They are made up under Paris intramurally of three principal networks (largest called GRS (southern wide-area network) extends under Ve, VIe, XIVe and XVe district, the second under XIIIe district and the last under XVIe) and of different multiples networks and shelters (XIIe, XIIIe, XIVet XVIe districts for example). The unit represents a surface of approximately 280 kilometers. The frequentation of these careers is prohibited by an order of the prefect of November 2nd, 1955, but however more than is tolerated. A small portion (approximately 1,7 kilometer), constitutes the Catacombes of Paris also called ossuary, and are officially worth visiting place Denfert-Rochereau other “ossuaries” exist in the GRS.

History

When the Romains invaded the Gaulle, they imported in all its technical cities their of construction of stone buildings. To have the raw material necessary to these constructions, they began the exploitation of careers of Calcaire, Gypse, etc, near the cities, with each time that was possible.

Under Paris, these first underground careers transfer the day under the Montagne Holy-Genevieve, and Paris and its surroundings under-were continuously dug during nearly eighteen centuries.

As from the 18th century, many collapses in Paris involved the prohibition of the exploitation of the stone and the reinforcement of the galleries passing under the public highway, while those under the private field were left with the responsibility for the owners. For this purpose was created the General inspection of the careers (IGC) in 1777 per decree of the king Louis XVI. The work of the IGC consisted to index and consolidate the vacuums left by the old gypsum or limestone exploitations under Paris. To discover the forgotten careers of the men, of the underground galleries of inspection were dug and created thus a bond between the residual vacuums discovered.

A little later a disaster anecdote took place in these careers. The gatekeeper of the Valley-of-Grace, Philibert Aspairt, lost himself in the maze of galleries of the Saint-Jacob careers and died there. A stele commemorates this sad still today made various.

At the end of the 18th century, to face the saturation of the Parisian cemeteries, the decision was made to move the bones of the common graves in the underground careers. One estimates at nearly six million the number of skins which were thus moved in a series of ossuaries which still exist under Paris. Among them, one can in particular quote all the great names of the French revolution.

As from this time, which was a continuation small underground workings without coherence, and communications between them, became an immense network, which it was possible to visit and control without passing by again by surface. This maze was of course used at various periods of the history, like refuge or as bases with illegal activities. Until the end of the Old mode, the access of the goods in the capital was subjected to a tax, the Octroi. Certain tradesmen thus used the network of the careers to reach inside the pregnant of the farmers general and to sell their products in Paris without paying the tax.

At the end of the Common of Paris, many communards found refuge there. Unfortunately for them, the Of Versailles ones organized an immense tracking in the catacombs and massacred the resistant last.

During the Second world war, the catacombs were used by all the parts:

by the German army which established there a HQ of the Luftwaffe;
by the populations which established their shelters there during the bombardments;
by the resistance which knew to exploit this hundred kilometers of underground grids and little known by the occupant for his activities.

Tourism

In 1983, the book of Barbara Glowczewski and Jean-François Matteudi, the City of the Cataphile S, mission anthropological in the undergrounds of Paris popularized the existence of the clandestine walkers of the network of galleries.

The many articles which appeared then caused an important rise of the frequentation, at the point to become a phenomenon of mode. Although growing blurred with the passing of years, this phenomenon perduré with many associations close to the Spéléologie, protection of the inheritance as well as accustomed places.

In 2001, the frequentation is in rise, and the fashion Cataphile is often found in the media, more often praising the spectacular one than the conservation of the inheritance. The many existing accesses (more than 300) are then very reduced by the police force and the services of the General inspection of the careers.

In September 2004 the French police force discovers a clandestine cinema of more than 400 m ², under Trocadéro, occupied by the movement the Mexican one of perforation.

External bonds

''' the directory of the underground sites '''
''' accomplices: ''' Photographs & plans of careers, Reports of explorations.
Photographs of careers/mines/catacombs
Careers and Catacombes of Paris: history, techniques, guided visit and cartography
Photographs of the underground careers of Paris and Île-de-France, classified by places
Photographs of underground careers Paris and Banlieue, histories of the exploitation and the cataphilie
minimal Encyclopedia of the catacombs
Database, photographs and files sets of themes of the careers of Paris (site in flash)
Site of XXX Crew
Photographs of careers/mines/etc urban Exploration

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