Philibert Aspairt


Philibert Aspairt was a doorkeeper of the Val-de-Grâce hospital during the French Revolution. He died in the Catacombs of Paris in November 1793 after entering them via a staircase located in the hospital courtyard. His motives are unknown. His body was not discovered until 1804, 11 years later, in one of the quarry galleries and was buried where it was found. The cause of his death was never determined. Aspairt might have been identified by the hospital key ring hanging from his belt.
His tomb is in the restricted part of the Paris catacombs, under the rue Henri Barbusse, next to the boulevard Saint-Michel.

Documents

His tomb bears the following inscription:
English translation:

The archives of Ravel-Salmerange in the Puy-de-Dôme department contain the birth certificate of Philiber Asper, born on 13 April 1732. The digital archives of the city of Paris contain a death certificate for a Philibert Asper dated 2 May 1804.
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English translation:
Extract of the register of death acts of year XXX
Some inconsistencies exist between different documents related to the case: a different spelling of his surname, different dates, and his profession.
However, it is common for the spelling of surnames to evolve over time. Differences in birth dates may be the result of mistakes in converting traditional dates to republican calendar dates. Aspairt may have been a quarryman before becoming doorkeeper at the hospital.