Title: Catacombs of Paris
Rating: T
Notes: Catacombs of Paris is a real place, rather interesting with all the history that surrounds it too. If anyone is planning to go to Paris and has a more morbid sense of history, I would advise going to this place, it's brilliant and I know I would go again.
Summary: Arthur is taking Ivan to the Catacombs of Paris, only to find himself explain the basic history of the place.
They descended into the bowels of Paris, the vast city that was built upon another city, as many nations had done, but Paris was the one that you could walk around. Of course in the past it had been used as a burial place, but he didn't dwell on that as they went down; right now he was enjoying the fact that the air was getting cooler.
Paris during the summer months was rather hot, too hot for his liking. He didn't know why he agreed to come over, but he did, with Ivan in tow, who wanted to see the Catacombs; though France suspected that he just wanted to ogle the bones of his long deceased people, although others took their place.
As far as Britain could tell, France was wrong in his guess. Russia wanted to see the city where his former ruler, the Empress Maria had lived.
"I never had the chance to look around the city before," Ivan had informed him, with no malice, and no evil aura seeping from him.
Of course, Arthur never bothered to correct Francis later who was shocked that Russia would even think of coming to his capital city.
"Mon ami, please tell me this is a joke!" He had cried out when Arthur told him of their visit; "Russia to visit, I know I said you could bring your lover, but I had thought you…"
"We don't have to come at all," He said bluntly, though he knew that Russia wanted to visit and had gotten rather excited about it all, he hoped he knew France well enough that his bluff would work.
"Non, you can both come, but let Russia know there shall be no funny business, oui?"
"I shall let him know," He had replied and as he hung up he let out a sigh of relief, he didn't want to see Russia looking disappointed about not being allowed to visit the city.
When they had arrived the city was hot, a lot hotter than Arthur expected, although he noticed that Ivan seemed to be okay with the heat, though he took his coat off, his scarf remained on and he never took it off, unless they were going to bed or having a fancy dinner.
Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, Ivan looked around with a frown, while to condensation dripped from the stone ceiling and down Arthur's back.
"They are further along," Arthur informed him and looked at the inscription above the door way; "Arrête, c'est ici l'empire de la Mort," He said softly and noticed that Ivan looked at him with confussion and he smiled as he pointed to the large inscription, knowing full well that Ivan would never look up, but continued onwards; "It says 'Stop, this is the empire of Death',"
"Ah, so further onwards…"
"Yes," Arthur nodded as they walked on, to be greeted by the vast skulls and bones of the dead.
As they continued to walk though they found another sign;
"The bones collected in the ground of church St Nicolas des Champs in 1859 deposited in the ossuary of the west and moved to the catacombs in 7th 1859
The bones that were in the graves in the church yard of St Nicolas des Champs back in 1859, which were in the ossuary of the west, were moved to the catacombs on the 7th day 1859,"
"Why would they do that?" Ivan asked as he looked closely at the skulls, wondering what mystery was behind them.
"The plague," His companion replied simply; "I was believed that these bodies could have it, hence why they were brought down here, as other's were as well, while the black death continued on its merry way,"
Ivan looked at his love, noticing him glaring at the sign and having no idea what to do about it, instead, he took his hand and pulled him away from the sign. Arthur just sighed and began to talk about the history, he may not like France, but he knew the history, after all the saying was keeping your friends close, but your enemies closer.
"This place isn't old, at least for this purpose," He began as they walked around, in no real direction; "It had been 'created' if you like, at the end of the 18th century, like tat sign said. The cemetery of Innocent had been used for almost ten centuries… But it appeared to be the origin of infection for all the inhabitants of that district. In the end, after so many complaints, the Council of State made the decision in November 1785 that the removal and evacuation of the cemetery.
Old quarries were selected to deposit the Parisian bones. He removal of the bones began after the blessing of the place in April in 1786 and continued until 1788, which always happened at night and made up a procession of priests who sang the burial service along the way, with borrowed tipcarts which had the bones and was covered with a black veil. The place was used until 1814, to collect the bones from all the cemeteries of Paris.
From day one the catacombs caused curiosity, back in 1787, Lord d'Artois, who would later become Charles the 10th, went down there, in the company of the ladies from Court. A year later there was a mention of the visit of Madam de Polignac and Madam de Guiche. In 1814, Francois 1st, emperor of Austria, visited them, and then in 1860, Napoleon 3rd went down there with his son.
There has been many tales, some believe the place to be haunted, while others believe that it is immoral to be down here and looking at the bones,"
"The bones are well looked after da?"
"Indeed, it was said that priests and the like, used to come down here every year to… rearrange the walls of bones. In fact back in July 2005, the Catacombs was reopened after several months of being close, the lighting was fixed up, the arches worked on and the walls of bones re-installed to their glory," He looked at a wall of bones on his right; "You know, there is about six million Parisian's in these Catacombs,"
"Does England have a place like this?" Ivan asked, curious, of course there were catacombs in Russia, but his bosses never liked people viewing them if they could help it.
"Yes… Not to the same type of history," He replied as they came to the exit and climbed the 87 steps back up to the main street, taking a deep breath in Arthur looked over to him; "So, lunch?"