The
Institute of Anatomy of Paris, otherwise known as the Delmas-Orfila-Rouvière
Museum
(and sometimes shortened to Orfila
Museum), is the largest
anatomical museum in France. It contains, among other treasures, the
remains of executed criminals from the 18th-20th centuries. Once included in
the holdings was the mummified head of famous
spy Mata Hari, but that apparently disappeared when the Museum
changed locations.
When I was in Paris
recently, I decided to stop by and see for myself. The museum itself is
not easy to find on the
eighth floor of the Faculté de Médecine on the Rue des Saints-Pères in
Paris (Left Bank, off Blvd. St. Germain). It's also not easy to visit.
These days it seems to be open only on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons by
appointment. But it is worth a little planning.
Even a brief visit on a day
that the museum is closed will take you to the 8th floor vestibule where a
few display cases offer an interesting glimpse into what the museum
offers. Shown below are "Les Hommes en Blanc," three naturally
mummified bodies that were discovered around 1840 in a Paris
apartment.
