The Pure Story!

Back in the Summer (it seems so long ago now) we read Pure by Andrew Miller. Sue Lewin has kindly done some research to find out more about the story behind the story and here it is.

During the eighteenth century the burial grounds of Paris were as appalling as those of London; in the case of the Cimetière des Innocents in the Halle district, perhaps even more so. Since the fourth century this ground was the main burial place in the city, particularly for the poor. During the fourteenth century huge pits holding up to 1500 bodies were left open until full. It is estimated that over the centuries between two and six million bodies were buried here.

By 1780 conditions at les Innocents had become intolerable. Around 90,000 corpses had been added in the previous 35 years, the whole area stank, and the soil was incapable of decomposition. In the district, it was claimed that meat rotted within hours and wine turned to vinegar. In May, following heavy rain, The weight of the dead in a burial pit had caused a collapse in nearby cellars and people were asphyxiated.



The ground was closed for burials around 1782, and cleared during the winters of 1785-6. The charniers were emptied and the ground cleared out to a depth of 6 feet . The remains were carted across Paris and deposited in the catacombs.



The Square of the Innocents today.


Thanks Sue - I am feeling a Book Group outing coming on!