Tomb of Philibert Aspairt, Quarries of Paris

Paris · France · Tunnel

The doorkeeper went down into the quarries in 1793 and never came up. Eleven years later his body was found — but he never left the galleries.

On 3 November 1793 Philibert Aspairt, doorkeeper at the Val-de-Grâce hospital, stepped down a staircase in the hospital courtyard and into the quarries beneath Paris. He was probably hoping to reach the Carthusians' cellars and their famous liqueur. He never came back. Only in 1804 was his body found in a gallery, identified by the hospital keyring on his belt, and he was buried where he lay. The grave is still there beneath the rue Henri-Barbusse, in the closed part of the network, with an inscription about the man who was lost and found eleven years later. Those who move through the tunnels count him as the patron of the underground: many report that lamps begin to gutter exactly where he lies, and that anyone who has strayed is nevertheless led back towards a gallery they recognise.

FAQ

Where is Tomb of Philibert Aspairt, Quarries of Paris located?

Tomb of Philibert Aspairt, Quarries of Paris is in Paris, France.