Well it came from under the city, centuries ago, leaving hundreds of miles of tunnels behind. It is one of the primary reasons why you don't see a lot of underground parking in Paris.

In 1786 the city needed to expand but there were a number of cemeteries in the way. So the city government decided to move the bones buried in these outlying cemeteries into the Catacombs. By the time the effort was finished in 1860 it is estimated that the bones of some 5 to 6 million people had been moved to the catacombs - piled 5 feet high and some 6 to 6o feet deep and coveringsome 300 km of tunnels.

The system is an incredible maze and if left to your own devices to wander freely you would surely be lost in no time and unlikely to find your way out. For this reason the Catacombs were the headquarters of the French resistance in WW2.

The bones of Marie Antoinette are in here somewhere along with Robespierre and most of the other victims of the French Revolution. An interesting place to contemplate your mortality.

As always press F11 on your keyboard and select Original size for best viewing.