Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
25 days ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
25 days ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
25 days ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
25 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All France Paris Grave of Philibert Aspairt

Grave of Philibert Aspairt

The tombstone of an unfortunate explorer who disappeared in the Paris Catacombs.

Paris, France

Added By
CoolCrab
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The inscription on Philibert Aspairt’s grave.   Rémi Villalongue/cc by-sa 3.0
The inscription on Philibert Aspairt’s grave.   Rémi Villalongue/cc by-sa 3.0
Philibert Aspairt’s grave in the Catacombs.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
Philibert Aspairt’s grave in the Catacombs.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Paris Catacombs are a massive maze of tunnels running under the city in all directions for hundreds of miles. While it's possible to visit portions of these subterranean tombs, most of them are off-limits to the public and should not be entered without a guide. The reason for this is something that Philibert Aspairt unfortunately found out firsthand.

Philibert Aspairt was working as a doorkeeper at the Val-de-Grâce military hospital during the French Revolution when he mysteriously went missing in 1793. His disappearance was not solved for many years, until his body was found in the catacombs in 1804, a full 11 years later. 

It is thought that Aspairt went down the stairs into the catacombs one day, where he lost the light and could not find the way out. He died slowly and alone in complete darkness. It is not known why he went down, but some think that it might have been to try to break into the basement of the nearby brewery. It is an unfortunate fate, as Aspairt was only a few feet away from a staircase.

Not much was left of Aspairt when he was finally found in a tunnel in Gennevilliers outside Paris, but the buttons on his jacket and the key ring were enough to identify him. His remains were buried where they were found in a small personal tomb. The stone gravemarker roughly translates to: "In the memory of Philibert Aspairt, lost in this excavation of 3 November 1793; 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.

Related Tags

Graves Catacombs Subterranean Tunnels Tombs Gravestones History Subterranean Sites

Know Before You Go

Only enter the Paris Catacombs with a guide. Never go in alone. It is illegal and dangerous—you don't want to end up like Philibert.

Community Contributors

Added By

CoolCrab

Edited By

Mom0ja, Martin

  • Mom0ja
  • Martin

Published

May 1, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philibert_Aspairt
Grave of Philibert Aspairt
5 Rue Henri Barbusse
Gennevilliers
Paris, 75005
France
48.843729, 2.339369
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Musée Curie

Paris, France

miles away

Musée de Cluny

Paris, France

miles away

Foucault's Pendulum

Paris, France

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Paris

Paris

France

Places 205
Stories 42

Nearby Places

Musée Curie

Paris, France

miles away

Musée de Cluny

Paris, France

miles away

Foucault's Pendulum

Paris, France

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Paris

Paris

France

Places 205
Stories 42

Related Places

  • The catacombs.

    Petrovaradin, Serbia

    'Catacombs' of Petrovaradin Fortress

    A maze of underground tunnels beneath one of the most beautiful forts in Serbia.

  • Newhaven Fort

    Newhaven, England

    Newhaven Fort

    A Victorian Fort built into the chalky cliffs that overlook the English Channel.

  • The grave itself is overgrown with agave, poison ivy, and lots of other sharp pointy objects, so wear protective clothing!

    Sanibel, Florida

    Grave of Captain Oliver Bowen

    The bizarre story of the mysterious death and hidden treasure of one of Sanibel Island's early homesteaders.

  • Tomb of William Walker.

    Trujillo, Honduras

    Grave of Filibuster William Walker

    Fenced off in a garden cemetery in Honduras lies the grave of the most notorious American filibuster.

  • The primary tunnel.

    Traverse City, Michigan

    Tunnels of Traverse City State Hospital

    A subterranean world of tunnels links several buildings of this rare 19th-century asylum.

  • Entrance to the Redcliffe Caves at Phoenix Wharf.

    Bristol, England

    Redcliffe Caves

    There's a labyrinth of manmade tunnels stretching for over an acre beneath Bristol.

  • Potatoes on the tomb.

    Paris, France

    Grave of Antoine-Augustin Parmentier

    The tomb of history's greatest potato promoter is surrounded by tubers.

  • Roman circus of Tarragona.

    Tarragona, Spain

    Roman Circus and Praetorian Tower

    Long tunnels run under the ancient chariot racing circuit to the tower.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.