Paris Catacombs to close for renovations

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00:00This may be the city of the dead, but it's still not immune to the ravages of time.

00:06The catacombs in Paris will shut its doors on Monday for a five-month renovation

00:11to deal with ongoing water leaks and rising humidity.

00:15The damp conditions are causing some of the bones to decay,

00:19and the dripping water is forming stalactites on parts of the tunnel ceilings.

00:23The first is to improve the conservation conditions of this site composed of walls of bones

00:30and to improve the preservation of these bones so they can be passed on to future generations.

00:38The ossuary was created to ease the problem of overcrowding in Parisian cemeteries in the late 18th century

00:46and houses some six million remains.

00:49It opened to the public in 1809, and since then, it's become a popular tourist attraction

00:55that draws fans of both history and the macabre.

00:59For nearly 800 meters, visitors walk just centimeters away from the bones.

01:05The walls contain femurs and tibias stacked one on top of the other to support the structure,

01:11with skulls as a decorative flourish.

01:13For some, the temptation to touch is great, despite signs warning not to do so.

01:19I think whatever it costs to preserve this, it has to be done.

01:23And if that takes signage to stop people from touching the bones and the skulls, then so be it, yeah.

01:31Also planned during the renovation, new lighting, removing more recent graffiti,

01:36and improvements to the visitor experience.

01:39But the museum promises the catacombs will still retain their eerie atmosphere.

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