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A city tour of Lima isn’t complete without visiting the catacombs of the Monastery of San Francisco. The basement of the working monastery reveals the bones of wealthy Limeños who believed they would be the last to rest in their expensive plots. The tour reveals what actually happened to their remains. Since the catacombs couldn’t expand and affluent Catholics, unfortunately, kept dying, bodies were stacked to decompose down to the bones, and now the larger bones (femurs, forearms, and skulls) are arranged artistically in a circular pattern to make them more aesthetically pleasing to visitors. The site is interesting from both a historical and modern sociological, ethical, and religious standpoint.

In the 14th district of Paris are the Catacombs, also known as the underground ossuary (or l’Ossuaire Municipal) where 6 million skeletons are stacked in an orderly fashion and date back several centuries ago. This was done because Paris cemeteries were running out of space while the city itself was expanding, thus it was agreed to move each cemetery’s collection of skeletons underground.


It is an eerie place to visit and I wouldn’t recommend it is for the faint of heart. Still, not a sight to miss. People like Charles 10, François the 1st (Emperor of Austria), Napoleon III and his son all took a stroll through the long and ominous halls of the Catacombs to pay a visit. It really is a sight like no other, and is great to visit if you’ve already seen all the main tourist sites, or even a rainy afternoon to escape dreary weather.


It was interesting to discover the cause of death by looking at some of these skulls. In this particular picture I captured a skull which did not die of a natural cause. It had a perfect circle in the left cheek, indicating a gunshot wound. It was a scary discovery, but I felt compelled to photograph it.

Tickets are either 8 Euros full price, 4 Euros for youth tickets (age 14-26), and free 13 and under.



Learn more about the history of the Paris Catacombs in this article.

Though civilizations have occupied the Lima area even before the Incas, the city reflects its time under Spanish rule the most. Nicknamed the “City of Kings,” it was the capital of the colonial viceroyalty of Peru. To get a feel for that era of Peruvian history, head downtown to the Plaza de Armas. From there, visit Lima Cathedral, the Casa de Aliaga (the residence of Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro; visits by appointment only), and—a major must-do on most visitors’ lists—the catacombs at the Convento de San Francisco. (While you’re at the monastery touring the catacombs, don’t miss seeing its library, one of the oldest in the Americas). Numerous palaces and other colonial piles lie nearby, and several are open to the public.

Step off the beaten path that leads to Jim Morrison’s grave at Père Lachaise and head instead to the lesser-known, yet extraordinary Montparnasse Cemetery. Locals bring metro tickets to leave on Serge Gainsbourg’s grave in honor of his song “Le Poinçonneur des Lilas (The Lilas Ticket Taker).” Nearby rest the poet Baudelaire and eternal lovers Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. A married couple by the name of Pigeon share a tomb that is as surprising as their family name. Susan Sontag opted for a minimalist grave, while artist Niki de Saint Phalle chose a rainbow-colored mosaic cat for the grave of her assistant Ricardo. Brancusi’s The Kiss sculpture stands at the head of his grave. Stop at a guardian’s kiosk when you enter the tranquil space and ask for a map of the luminaries who have made this their eternal resting place.

Centuries-old catacombs decorated with human bones pepper the crypts at this Franciscan monastery dating to 1774. Decked out in impressive Spanish Baroque architecture, the canary-yellow church and monastery also house a remarkable library with some 25,000 antique texts (some predating the Spanish Conquest) and are flush with romantic courtyards and cloisters. Don’t forget to look up: A magnificent Moorish-style cupola, carved of Nicaraguan cedar in 1625, oversees the main staircase.

I hop down the familiar 13th Street entrance, dipping beneath the iconic Hotel Boulderado and into what used to be the Catacombs Bar. I used to play guitar at the open mic here 18 years ago. But on this evening, my feet pad over plush, dark, patterned carpet instead of sticking to the floor. In May, 2014, the bar re-opened as License No. 1, a self-described “distilled spirits–focused bar and lounge reminiscent of an upscale speakeasy.” The place still feels cozy and Catacomb-y, but the full facelift has added more than a touch of class. It’s nice now, and there are no neon beer signs to mess with your eyes. I walk through several dark rooms, past a few romantic nooks, and up to the bar for an Old Fashioned, the signature cocktail made with the Boulderado’s own single-barrel Buffalo Trace Bourbon (plus sugar, cherry, lemon peel and bitters). Two bartenders pour it through an ice sculpture and into a martini glass. I stare over the rim as I take a sip, my eyes finally adjusting to the low light. License No. 1 will still have live music in the “Cabaret Room,” Wednesdays through Saturdays, where they also plan on screening vintage films on Sundays.

Completed in 1899, this Byzantine and Romanesque-style church is a popular destination as a place for pilgrimage and worship for thousands of visitors to D.C. Run by the Order of St. Francis of Assisi (Franciscans), the monastery and its magnificent gardens house realistic replicas of shrines from the Holy Land and worldwide, which the Franciscans have cared for during the past 800 years. These include Christ’s tomb from the Church of the Holy Sepuchre, Tomb of the Virgin Mary, Chapel of the Ascension, the Grotto of Gethsemane, the Grotto of Lourdes, and the catacombs of Rome which house the remains of two saints brought from there, St. Benignus and St. Innocent.

This grand colonial home was built over 300 years ago and was the place of a reception for the Peruvian liberator, Don José de San Martin. Though it now houses a fine dining restaurant (your server might also give you the house tour), the manor retains most of its original furniture, as well as its chapel, cellar, and catacombs. Through the enclosed garden, climb the double staircase into the house itself, built in this way so the owners could survey their land from their home, including the nearby olive groves planted by the original owners. The financial district of San Isidro grew up around it, making it a colonial jewel in the busy neighborhood.

I was in the Ribeira district of Oporto. I wanted to see the Gothic and Baroque Church of Sao Francisco. So I wandered into the church that was listed as one of the most important and beautiful churches of Oporto. It was said to be very ornate. I was mesmerized by the beauty of this huge edifice with the elaborately decorated interior said to have more than 300 kilos of gold dust covering altars and other decorative surfaces. I stood there and tried to think of the work involved in completing this church. It must have been a huge undertaking ( as were so many of the monuments the world over). The church was built originally as a small building in 1245 by the Franciscan friars in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. In 1383, a much larger church was built.It was finished about 1425. The structure is a basic Gothic church with the large rose window. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Baroque architecture was added. The Franciscan friars were buried in the catacombs which you can visit. There is also an ossuary with thousands of human bones. The interior is very large and you need at least an hour to peruse this monument. This is an attraction that you should not miss while in Oporto.

Transport yourself to back to the 13th century. Imagine taking a hand tool and chiseling down in to a mountain to create the four exterior sides of a building and then using those same hand tools to hewn out the interior space for the building. After that, you then hand chisel out rock to create details such as molding, windows and doors, pillars, arched ceilings and even domes. If you’re up to it, paint a few frescoes and carve out a few wooden doors. Repeat this process ten more times and then hand chisel out an extensive system of drainage ditches, trenches and ceremonial passages, some with openings to hermit caves and catacombs. No two church exteriors or interiors should be the same and each church should honor a different religious figure. Add it all up and you now have completed work on the complex of spectacular monolithic, hand hewn churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia which were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1978. Without a doubt, the rock church complex at Lalibela is one of the most spectacular manmade constructions in the world and to say that I gasped in utter awe with every step that I took is truly an understatement. The complex is much too large to see in one day so plan on a two day visit. Also, note that you have to take off your shoes before entering every church so be prepared accordingly.

For 50 years, it has been growing in the basement of the seminary located at 5757 South University Avenue. Back in 1961, 17 book lovers each pitched in $10 a piece and founded The Seminary Co-Op Bookstore. When you arrive, you won’t think you’re necessarily at the right place. Then you will see a little sign that guides you to the catacombs of this enchanted world of words. You will descend a set of stairs, and then you will simply stare. Books. Endless row upon row of books. You will duck pipes, dodge faucets, and squeeze between shelves and working furnaces, and you will love every minute of it. It’s as if the books were already there, firmly planted in their rightful spot, and suddenly a building erupted around them. But rather than supplant the books, the building decided to work with the books and have a symbiotic relationship. It’s as if it grew around the tomes of knowledge, integrating itself by weaving and threading its way through the volumes of pulp and ink. They co-exist in harmony, waiting to be discovered by us. www.semcoop.com

The great central Cathredal in Vienna, visible from most of the city’s roofs.

Utah’s famous license plate landmark, Delicate Arch, sits on the edge of a spiral rock wishing well, a massive replica of those that you throw a coin into at the mall. Hike the 1.5 miles to the rim just before sunset to watch the orange sandstone vibrantly light up as the arch perfectly frames the snow-capped mountains in the distance.

Getting out of Rome and into the country doesn’t take much of an effort. Head a few miles out of the city on the Via Appia Antica, the oldest and longest road in the Roman Empire, and you’ll find yourself at the Parco Appia Antica, a regional reserve park with beautiful green pastures and Roman tombs. From the Porta San Paolo (the entry gate to Rome) through the park, the ancient Appia Way has retained much of its original basalt pavement, making an easy riding surface for beginners as well as experts. For history buffs, ancient monuments, archaeological sites, and catacombs populate the area and are open for exploration. Nature-lovers can get up close with the sheep that produce Rome’s favorite ricotta cheese, as the area is free range for local shepherds herding sheep. There are several bike rental stands, including a favorite at the Appia Antica Caffè

Archaeology buffs must see the recently uncovered 4th-century catacombs of the Basílica Tardorromana. These remains of early Christianity are considered unique finds in the western region of North Africa. Elsewhere in the museum, carvings of timber and marble are linked to a 14th-century Andalucian university, Madrasa al-Yadida de Ceuta. Another section of the exhibition details historic fish-salting factories from the Roman era—one of the earliest trade activities of the pre-Christian period.