Description

When Europeans arrived in Lima in the 16th century, they brought over diseases like smallpox and leprosy. The Catholic Church ordered the construction of tunnels below religious buildings in downtown Lima, so the clergy and privileged families could bury their dead. Nowadays, you can visit the catacombs under the Saint Francis Monastery, where at least 25,000 bodies were buried until it closed in 1810.

More details @ museocatacumbas.com