Editing Catacombs of Paris (section)

==Visits==
[[File:Paris Catacombs Entrance.jpg|thumb|Entrance to the Catacombs]]
As one visits the catacombs, a sign above reads {{lang|fr|Arrête! C'est ici l'empire de la Mort}} ("Stop! The empire of Death lies here").<ref>References to the entryway sign:
* {{cite AV media|title=Revolutionary Paris: filthy cities|publisher=Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Firm)|author= [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]]|year=2011|time=39:47|oclc=835887472|via=Films On Demand}}
* {{cite AV media|title=Rick Steves' Europe: Highlights of Paris—Eiffel and Monet to crème brulée.|date=2004|last=Steves|first=Rick|publisher=Back Door Productions|time=17:57|isbn=1598800671|oclc=122353902|via=Films On Demand}}</ref> The Catacombs of Paris became a curiosity for more privileged Parisians from their creation, an early visitor being the [[Count of Artois]] (later [[Charles X of France]]) in 1787. Public visits began after its renovation into a proper ossuary and the 1814–1815 war. First allowed only a few times a year with the permission of an authorized mines inspector, but later more frequently and permitted by any mine overseer, a flow of visitors degraded the ossuary to a point where the permission-only rule was restored from 1830, and the catacombs were closed completely from 1833 because of church opposition to exposing human remains to public display. Open again for four visits a year from 1850, public demand caused the government to allow monthly visits from 1867, bi-weekly visits on the first and third Saturday of each month from 1874 (with an extra opening for the November 1 ''toussaint'' holiday), and weekly visits during the 1878, 1889 (the most visitors yet that year) and 1900 World's Fair Expositions. Later they opened for regular daily visits. After an incident of vandalism, the Catacombs were closed to the public during September 2009 and reopened on 19 December of the same year.<ref>{{cite web | title=Paris catacombs Vandalized, closed for repair | website=www.gadling.com | url=http://www.gadling.com/2009/09/22/paris-catacombs-vandalized-indefinitely-closed/ | date=2009-09-22 | access-date=2011-02-09 | archive-date=2011-02-15 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110215095955/http://www.gadling.com/2009/09/22/paris-catacombs-vandalized-indefinitely-closed/ | url-status=live }}</ref> The Catacombs were reopened to the public on June 16, 2020, with new rules and guidelines for visitors as a result of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-16|title=Catacombs of Paris Is Now Open Post COVID-19 Lockdown|url=https://blog.headout.com/catacombs-of-paris-reopens-post-covid-19-lockdown/|access-date=2020-08-25|website=Headout Blog|language=en-US|archive-date=2020-10-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001073234/https://blog.headout.com/catacombs-of-paris-reopens-post-covid-19-lockdown/|url-status=live}}</ref> Visitors are no longer required to wear masks.{{When|date=January 2025|reason=no specific timing of removal for mask policy}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Please read before your visit {{!}} Catacombes de Paris {{!}} Official website |url=https://www.catacombes.paris.fr/en/visit/please-read-your-visit |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=www.catacombes.paris.fr |language=en}}</ref>

{{Anchor|OtherEventsIntheCatacombs}}