Quarrying under central Paris, buttressing and back filling from 12th to 19th century
During two Saturday morning visits about 30 members and friends visited a Parisian underground quarry now partially buttressed and back filled.
Starting from Roman times but mostly from the 12th century quality limestone has been extracted from under Paris for the Religious and Court buildings leaving voids covering 1800 acres under the left bank alone. The collapse of roads and buildings when the city limits expanded was frequent as were death, injury and illness among the miners.
By the 17th century quarry buttressing and back filling became systematic and by the 19th century quarrying under Paris was forbidden and the limestone Haussmann facades came from the suburbs or further. The Capucin quarry is named after the monks (see photograph) who built a chapel and hospital offering some comfort to miners. The Capucin quarry remains a protected museum where the 12th century mining and subsequent buttressing and back filling techniques can be seen. The quarry museum is maintained by volunteers who have there own underground council & dining room (see photograph). The visits were followed by group lunches.
Robert Broatch, Secretary, ICE French Local Association