Philibert Aspairt
Philibert Aspairt tomb
Philibert Aspairt tomb
The Catacombs of Paris: The History of the City’s Underground Ossuaries and Burial Network - book coverPhilibert Aspairt (died 1793) was a doorkeeper of the Val-de-Grâce hospital during the French Revolution. He died in the Catacombs of Paris in November 1793 after entering them via a staircase located in the hospital courtyard. His motives are unknown. His body was not discovered until 1804, 11 years later, in one of the quarry galleries and was buried where it was found. The cause of his death was never determined. Aspairt might have been identified by the hospital key ring hanging from his belt.
His tomb is in the restricted part of the Paris catacombs, under the rue Henri Barbusse, next to the boulevard Saint-Michel.
The stone gravemarker roughly translates to: “In the memory of Philibert Aspairt, lost in this excavation of 3 November 1973; found eleven years later and buried at the same place on 30 April 1804.” Today the room where Aspairt is buried is a popular meeting place for cataphiles, people who enjoy exploring the dark tunnels beneath Paris.
