Paris Photo Post #3: Paris Underground

[tenlittlebullets]

And now we have the catacombs and the sewer museum. The sewer exhibits had shiny maps; the catacombs were just plain amazing. I'd even venture to say they were the best part of the trip--they really leave an impression on you. And the photos from the catacombs are among my favorites of the lot.

Musée des Égouts


Every street has a corresponding sewer--with a corresponding street sign.




It was rather dim, so getting good pictures--even with flash--was difficult. Bear with me.








Weapons recovered from the sewers when they were mapped for the first time.

And the rest are pictures of the maps and the exhibits, which I'll link to rather than post.
From the Napoleonic Empire to the July Monarchy (exhibit in French and English)
more
Les Misérables de Victor Hugo (French and English, with a page from the manuscript and two illustrations)
more on LM (with a map of Valjean's route through the sewers and an illustration of Bruneseau)
Close-up of the map of Valjean's route
Map of the public fountains, 1716
Map of Paris in 1839 (shiny, never seen that one before!)
Map of the sewers in 1837
And another one, not sure of the year but it's definitely July Monarchy
Map of the present-day sewer system for the Paris metropolitan area




Catacombs

No flash photography allowed, so my ability to take pictures depended on whether there was a light nearby. Next time I'll bring a flashlight.






Chaque mortel paraît, disparaît sans retour;
Mais par d'illustres faits vivre dans la mémoire,
Voilà la récompense et le droit de la gloire.






Tout naît, tout passe, tout arrive
Au terme ignoré de son sort :
À l'Océan l'onde plaintive,
Aux vents la feuille fugitive,
L'aurore au soir, l'homme à la mort.


Ecoutez, ossements arides,
Ecoutez la voix du Seigneur.
Le Dieu puissant de nos ancêtres,
Du souffle qui créa les êtres,
Rejoindra vos nœuds séparés.
Vous reprendrez des chairs nouvelles ;
La peau se formera sur elles,
Ossements secs, vous revivrez

Comments

[strokemybow.livejournal.com]

omg sooooo cool. *drools*

[cosmicautumn.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, les catacombes! Next time I'm in Paris, I'm going to try to do some "exploring" off the museum area. Apparently there's a group called the cataphiles who roam them. Too bad I can't convince any of my friends to join me.

[devils-child7.livejournal.com]

Ooh, shiny! Thanks for this. :)
Ha, poor Valjean... I would hate to trudge through all of that.

[and-i.livejournal.com]

Oooh, these are awesome, in quite the literal "I am full of awe" sense. God, Paris is such a fascinating beautiful place.

[lokogato.livejournal.com]

Haha, seeing the weapons turned up makes the Parisian Sewer Documentary so much more amusing to remember.

And catacombs!! ♥

... now I'm wondering who had the job of sorting all the bones into size-appropriate piles to make the 'walls.' .__.