Interesting history topics are just a click away. Her young age allowed Salafia to follow a simple mummification process that kept her angel face untouched and undeteriorated for over 100 years. Friars live their lives in servitude to society and the Capuchin friars created a monastery which in due course had the crypts below it excavated in 1599 when the graveyards filled henceforth known as the Catacombs of the Capuchins. Why is he still there now that it's been over 100 years since his death? The Lombardo family was Italian and although the Spanish flu pandemic was ending, it seemed that Rosalia's pneumonia may have been caused by this deadly disease. They were famed for their Romanesque architecture, characterized by semi-circular arches. Piombino-Mascali made this amazing discovery in 2009 after some of the workers in the museum moved her coffin, which caused her body to shift a little bit. Her story to this day is passed on by the monks who still work in the catacombs. Her father, Mario Lombardo wanted to know the exact cause of her death in order to "blame" someone. Luckily for the scientific community they consented and Dario found a handwritten memoir reveling the exact formula injected into Rosalia. The embalming of the body of Rosalia Lombardo by Alfredo Salaria. (Sibeaster / Wikimedia Commons). Maria Cara Lombardo e Mario Lombardo, i genitori della piccola Rosalia (per gentile concessione della . Husband of Maria Di Cara In short, Rosalia is a 98 year old mummy. So, Mario in his grief sought out the famed embalmer Alfredo Salafia to preserve Rosalia forever. Rosalia Lombardo, a two-year-old girl, died in 1920 from an intensified case of bronchopneumonia, a kind of pneumonia that involves inflammation in the alveoli. He then approached the monks who ran the Capuchin Catacombs and begged for his daughter to be placed there. If you find the above article inaccurate or biased, please let us know at[emailprotected]. Wordfence is a security plugin installed on over 4 million WordPress sites. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The formula consisted of formalin, zinc salts, alcohol, salicylic acid, and glycerin. Her father Mario Lombardo, who was an local official, engaged noted embalmer, Alfredo Salafia to mummify her body. There are those who claim that it is a mere optical illusion, caused by how the light falls on those half-closed eyelids. Mario Lombardo is an infantry officer who only on this day discovers what happiness is, true happiness. Rosalia, an Italian child born on December 13 in the year 1918, died due to pneumonia as a result of the Spanish flu less than two years later, on December 6, 1920. Thanks to Salafia, the body was well preserved. So what is legend passed down for the romanticism of love and loss, and what is the truth? Their families would continue to fund the monks who cared for the deceased for example with new clothes. Historic Mysteries provides captivating articles on archaeology, history, and unexplained mysteries. This mystery of blinking eyes, and the well-preserved body is what makes Rosalias mummy so fascinating. The catacombs are open nearly everyday and the entry fee is only 3 euros. If you think you have been blocked in error, contact the owner of this site for assistance. Rosalia Lombardo born on December 13, 1918, was a Sicilian kid that died of pneumonia on December 6, 1920 from the Spanish flu. Rosalia Lombardo: The Mummy That Blinks. Mario and Maria are not married at the time of Rosalia's birth, but they are very much in love. Life is full of constant reminders that we will one day die. Zinc to petrify the body. The latter was a Sicilian little girl born in 1918 and dead in 1920 of pneumonia, at just two years. It seems that it was the video surveillance cameras that noticed this light and slow movement. We have detected that you are using extensions to block ads. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Amazingly, 8000 skeletons (although a more accurate number is said to be closer to 2,000) and around 1250 mummies inhabit the catacombs. One piece of evidence pointing to Mario being her father is that he supposedly named his second daughter Rosalia (after the first). [7], "Multidetector CT investigation of the mummy of Rosalia Lombardo (19181920)", "In the Catacombs of the Capuchin Monastery in Palermo", "Why Does This Mummy Appear To Open And Close Her Eyes? Her grieving father couldn't settle . Rosalia Lombardo's father, official Mario Lombardo, was severely upset by the death of his loved daughter and contacted a famous Sicilian embalmer, Alfredo Salafia, to preserve the body of Rosalia. Xolotl the Dog God of the Aztec mythology that guides the dead to the underworld, The Ebers Papyrus: Ancient Egyptian medical text reveals medico-magical beliefs and beneficial treatments. Rosalia is surrounded by many other bodies, over 8000, who sleep their eternal sleep in the Catacombs of the Capuchins. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0.You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. A visit to the Catacombs of Capuchin is the ultimate reminder or Memento Mori (in Latin) that we too will join the endless ranks of the dead alas perhaps in not such a spectacular setting. Mario, her father, approached Alfredo Salafia, embalmer and taxidermist, to preserve her. These questions arise spontaneously. Thanks to these tricks it will be possible to keep this body intact for a long, long time. Rosalia Lombardo (December 13, 1918 in Palermo, Italy - December 6, 1920), was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. The researchers then created a new aluminum case for Rosalia Lombardo, saturated with nitrogen, and moved the girl's body to a less humid place. Created By: Gillian Sarah | Copyright 2018 Kelsea Ventures, style="display:block; text-align:center;" data-ad-layout="in-article" data-ad-format="fluid" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3840146551937959" data-ad-slot="9292028712">. Alba incoming - Eurofirst Tours Children of Llullaillaco: Where Young Children Were Sacrificed to the Gods, Church of the Dead: Home to the Peculiar Mummies of Provincial Italy. Not only that, he also added paraffin, duly dissolved in ether. Her name is Rosalia Lombardo, and she died of pneumonia caused by the Spanish Flu just one week shy of her second birthday in 1920. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. [2] Her mummified body, sometimes referred to as "Sleeping Beauty", was one of the last corpses to be admitted to the Capuchin catacombs of Palermo in Sicily. The daughter was always sick. Rosalia's father, official Mario Lombardo, was sorely grieved upon her death, so he approached Alfredo Salafia, a noted embalmer, to undertake the task of preserving her. The heartbroken father of Rosalia sought the help of an embalmer named Alfredo Salafia to preserve his childs body. He used many modern and original techniques to mummify young Rosalia to perfection. Many others thought that the eyes might blink due to the temperature changes inside the catacomb, which made her eyelids contract and thus produced the blink-like effect. Since 1920, her body has been lying in a glass-covered coffin, her head poking above a fading silk blanket. Advertising Disclosure: This content may use referral links. These blue eyes, like the rest of her body, are remarkably intact. The typical embalming procedures include the complete removal of organs. They moved to other Italian cities and then also abroad, thus without having the opportunity to choose a cemetery where to bury their child. Get notified of the best best booming posts weekly. Avid Writer with invaluable knowledge of Humanity! Catacombe dei Cappuccini | Palermo, Italy, Fact Analysis: But even so, there are many who prefer to believe that her spirit really does return to her body! Her father, Mario Lambardo who was a General, was so struck with grief when Rosalia Lombardo died that he couldnt part with her and wanted her placed in the Capuchin Catacombs. So ajar, they always seem on the verge of opening up, as if there is a hope that that little girl can return to life. Surely, some will say, Alfredo Salaria has studied a lot to obtain this surprising result. A corridor of mummies inside the catacombs. Watch on Mario Lombardo was overcome by grief when his only child died of pneumonia. Some said this was her spirit returning to her body. Even if the little girl's body has not found a worthy burial, the choice to embalm her so as to be able to give her eternal rest and to give her name to her little sister are the clear sign of how much Rosalia was loved. What is even more interesting is that upon an X-ray of the mummified corpse, it seems that Rosalinas organs have been perfectly conserved. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. I wrote about the Capuchin Catacombs already, but essentially, the Catacombs were a place where the dead were displayed in order to be visited by the living. After the embalming, Rosalia was then transported to the Catacombs of the Capuchins, which was made possible by the mayor of the city, Giuseppe Lanza di Scalea, who in fact gave his permission. Connect to 3,088 Lombardo profiles on Geni, Antonino Lombardo, Lombardo (ne Lombardo (Ne Corrao)), Maria Italia Lombardo, Antonino Lombardo, Lombardo, Lombardo, Lombardo, Antonino Lombardo, Rosalia Lombardo (ne Corrao), pe Dit Armando Lombardo, Concetta Pancano (ne Lombardo), Maria Italia Aiello (ne Lombardo), Antonino Lombardo, Alfredo Dit Adolfo Lombardo, Palermo, Province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy. Rosalias father, Official Mario Lombardo, was sorely grieved upon her death, so he approached Alfredo Salafia, a noted embalmer, to preserve her. Despite offering her the best medication possible at the time, she was too young and didnt have a strong enough immune system to be able to fight pneumonia. Rosalia Lombardo (13 December 1918 6 December 1920)[1] was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. Rosalia Lombardos Xray By National Geographic. Maria di Cara, his partner, has in fact just given birth to their first daughter, Rosalia. They began to mummify dead friars and before long this technique of preservation after death became a sought after practice for the high classes of Sicily. Thanks to the technological tools we have today, the researchers noticed the presence of an empty bottle under the little girl's head. A multitude of skeletons line the walls in these catacombs to give a more than eerie vibe, and having experienced it for myself a strange sensation runs through as one enters the cold surroundings. However, once down the stairs the scene begins to change to a more basic overlay. Even though mummification is still practised in some distant cultures, it is uncommon in the Western world. Your access to this service has been limited. The two are more and more in love, they lead a comfortable and peaceful life and their little girl grows up beautiful, healthy and strong. Obviously it was expensive, for this reason these bodies almost all belong to people of high class. Rosalia Lombardo, a two-year-old girl, died in 1920 from an intensified case of bronchopneumonia, a kind of pneumonia that involves inflammation in the alveoli. The formalin wiped out all the bacteria, and the salicylic acid helped in removing any fungi present in the flesh. Your email address will not be published. But the proof of her heritage doesn't exist. The problem at the time, was that no one knew how Rosalia had been preserved. He has worked on many projects in the past including tzi the Tyrolean Iceman from Italy and the Kabayan Mummies also known as the fire mummies of the Philippines. The Italian biological anthropologist was able to debunk the myths about Rosalia Lombardo. Recently, the mummification techniques used by Salafia were discovered in a handwritten memoir of Salafias. In 2009, an MRI scan of the little girl was performed, to see the state of preservation of the interior of the body. Her mummified body, sometimes referred to as 'Sleeping Beauty', was one of the last corpses to be admitted to the Capuchin . A Net Inceptions project. For years the mix of chemicals that Alfredo Salaria used on Rosalia remained unknown, as well as the technique used. Curiosities about the body of Rosalia, who seems to be blinking. He approached a popular embalmer, Alfredo Salafia and asked to have her preserved for eternity. Further analysis of the body show that all the organs are intact. . However, things can go wrong. (Sibeaster / Wikimedia Commons). Salafia replaced the girls blood with a liquid made of formalin to kill bacteria, alcohol to dry the body, glycerin to keep her from overdrying, salicylic acid to kill fungi, and zinc salts to give her body rigidity. The mummy of Rosalia Lombardo (Source: The Archaeology News Network), NASA is launching the DNA of some of the most prolific presidents in US history, The 1985 story of a bear that ate 77 pounds of Plabo Escobar's finest cocaine. Via Panepinto 8 I-92022 Cammarata (Ag) Italy All the other bodies present were in fact emptied of their internal organs and then left to rest for about a year. Rosalia died barely one week before her second birthday. Some researchers, who had the opportunity to study the girl's body, later discovered that it was most likely bronchopneumonia, discarding the other theories instead. Alfredo Salafia, a taxidermist, and a skillful embalmer, then mummified the dead body of Rosalia Lombardo with impressive skill, preserving her so well that even her internal organs were kept intact. This mix of substances was injected directly through an incision in the femoral artery. Thank you for your cooperation.You can sign-up to the Membership any time to remove the adds and enjoy the content with no interruptions, Rosalia Lombardos perfectly preserved body, by Andrei Tapalaga | Sep 6, 2022 | Culture. The name of that girl is Rosalia Lombardo, who tragically died due to pneumonia in 1920, at the age of two. It is a security plugin installed on over 4 million WordPress sites was injected directly through an incision in catacombs! Concessione della biological anthropologist was able to debunk the myths about Rosalia Lombardo been preserved chemicals that Alfredo used. Exact formula injected into Rosalia best best booming posts weekly to pneumonia 1920..., his partner, has in fact just given birth to their first daughter, Rosalia is surrounded many. Interesting is that upon an X-ray of the body was well preserved by when... Chemicals that Alfredo Salaria many other mario lombardo father of rosalia, over 8000, who an... 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