There was a time when all the undertakers of Paris associated together in a cartel of sorts, and shared space at a huge building that became an even bigger complex. This was at 104 rue d’Aubervilliers, also called simply Le 104. The building, originally built as a slaughterhouse in 1849, was bought by the funerary syndicate in 1873. It comprised 35,000 square meters, and offered every service one could possibly need for a spectacular funeral. At the height of business, a thousand employees produced 150 funeral processions each day.
The subterranean level was accessed by two huge ramps, and was home to some 300 horses in over two-dozen stables. It’s the first thing you see when you step through the doors of Le 104 today, along with little reminders of its equestrian past.
The ground floor contained 100 funeral chariots, 80 hearses, and 6,000 coffins. On the periphery of the ground floor there were also public workshops and stores that specialised in funeral painting, ornament making, tapestry, and other crafts.
It was a veritable Parisian micro city powered by the business of death.
Le 104 is now an arts center that has plenty to offer to visitors. Read about the magnificent funeral home that served an entire city at Messy Nessy Chic.