One strange phenomenon that scared all the tourists visiting the catacombs was that the mummy was blinking or at least that is what most people saw. Rosalia Lombardos mummified body appeared to be the most alive mummy in the world. The mummy is one of the best preserved bodies in the catacombs. The glass case also protects the body from any effects of light. (Sibeaster / Wikimedia Commons). Many find it too overwhelming to be underground with what looks like an army of the dead from a horror film, including an Argentinian companion of mine who had to surface for air and rejoin the mortal beings above. The body of little Rosalia has closed eyelids as if she were sleeping. The monks agreed and she was one of the last mummies placed in the catacombs. Rosalia's daddy, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. He has written for 8 years in a variety of fields including history, health and politics. This may just be one of the best-preserved mummies in the world, however, it is only 100 years old so it should not be the greatest wow factor. Maria Cara Lombardo e Mario Lombardo, i genitori della piccola Rosalia (per gentile concessione della Famiglia Lombardo) . The other bodies present in the catacombs. Zinc salts to keep a state of preservation 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. Rosalia Lombardo (13 December 1918 - 6 December 1920) [1] was a Palermitan child who died of pneumonia, resulting from the Spanish flu, [2] one week before her second birthday. The owner of this site is using Wordfence to manage access to their site. 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 formalin wiped out all the bacteria, and the salicylic acid helped in removing any fungi present in the flesh. Not only was the eye blinking mystery solved by Piombino-Mascali, but he also managed to track down the embalming formula Alfredo Salafia used to preserve the body of Rosalia in such impeccable condition. [3] Sometimes called "Sleeping Beauty", hers was one of the last corpses to be admitted to the Capuchin catacombs of Palermo in Sicily. Source: Sibeaster / Public Domain. Enjoyed this article? It is a location rich in history between Europe and Africa on the banks of the Tyrrhenian Sea. In 1933 when the Sicilian embalmer passed away, he wrote down the secret formula of the preservation. Her name is Rosalia Lombardo who died on November 6th, 1920 with only two summers to her name and remains the youngest on show. Mario Lombardo, her father, wanted to uncover the specific cause of her death so he could blame someone. The anthropologist then realized that her eyes were actually never closed, and it had only been a trick of the light that made them seem so. Alfredo Salafia was considered the best as he had a lot of experience preserving corpses. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0.You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. The Lombardo family was Italian, and despite the fact that the Spanish flu pandemic was coming to an end, the girl's pneumonia appeared to have been caused by this lethal illness. To address these issues the mummy was moved to a drier spot in the catacombs, and her original coffin was placed in a hermetically sealed glass enclosure with nitrogen gas to prevent decay. But why the bottle under Rosalia's head is completely empty remains an inexplicable mystery. Your email address will not be published. [4] Rosalia Lombardo's body is kept in a small chapel at the end of the catacomb's tour and is encased in a glass covered coffin, placed on a wooden pedestal. Rosalia's father, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. But the magical element was the zinc salts which gave Rosalias body rigidity. To add further to the folklore surrounding the Sleeping Beauty, rumor had it that Rosalia would blink multiple times a day. 2009-2021 Historic Mysteries. A symbol of love, death, loss and a reminder of just how short life can be. The first 3D image of Rosalia revealed that all the organs of her body are perfectly intact even after so many decades. (The oldest is a friar from 1599 called Silvestro da Gubbio). [6] The mummy remains one of the best preserved bodies in the catacombs. In short, Rosalia is a 98 year old mummy. Alfredo also designed an ad hoc coffin for little Rosalia, with a glass lid welded to a wooden crate, so that the body could be preserved for a long time, since there was no contact with light, since in this way no one could touch the body. Another writer speaks of the temptation and sights that Palermo offers to some famous people of history past, Aunique cultural heritagethat in many centuries has attracted and fascinated onlookers from all over the world, including many intellectuals, poets and writers such asAlexandre Dumas, Mario Praz, Guy de Maupassant, Fanny Lewald and Carlo Levi.. X-rays of the body show that all the organs are remarkably intact. Her story to this day is passed on by the monks who still work in the catacombs. Mario Lombardo Unfortunately, though Rosalia is just 98 years old (a fairly young mummy) the truth about her life before death and her family is speculated, but unconfirmed. This mix of substances was injected directly through an incision in the femoral artery. Rosalia was born on December 13, 1918 and died on December 6, 1920 of pneumonia. Her golden blonde hair is very neatly tied with a beautiful silk bow. It is considered one of the best-preserved mummies in the world. . Alfredo Salaria used glycerin, formalin, zinc salts, alcohol and salicylic acid on the body of little Rosalia. Legend has it that she was a sickly child who suffered illnesses and pain until she contracted a pneumonia at the age of 2 and died from her illness. The story of love, loss, beauty and tragedy have captured thousands of people through multiple generations. Even though mummification is still practised in some distant cultures, it is uncommon in the Western world. The zinc sulfate was used to petrify the body. Full text data coming soon. all right reserved. Rosalia Lombardo in her glass coffin. All rights reserved. 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 paraffin dissolved in the ether, then applied on the girls face, creates the illusion that she is staring straight at whoever is staring at her. Mario Lombardo is an infantry officer who only on this day discovers what happiness is, true happiness. They tell of a young child, born frail and weak, who endured more pain and sickness throughout her short life than most do in their lifetimes. It is interesting how we have reached a technological point that allows us to analyze such mummies without the need of them being touched or at risk of deterioration. Rosalia Lombardos remains is housed in a tiny chapel at the end of the catacomb tour, enclosed in a glass-covered coffin on a wooden pedestal. The catacombs of the Capuchins of Palermo. Notes documenting Rosalias mummification were discovered in the 1970s. How did you succeed in this feat? Rosalia Lombardo. There are those who believe that it is really her, little Rosalia, who blinks forever, almost a way to communicate with the world of the living. 2022 History of Yesterday | All Rights Reserved. [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? The story of Rosalia is speculated, but unknown. 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. [8], The mummy has achieved further notoriety for a phenomenon in which her eyes appear to open and close several times a day, revealing her intact blue irises. Her father was so grief-stricken that he sought the aid of an embalmer and taxidermist to preserve his child. Salicylic acid to stop the growth of fungi But in doing so, she became something larger than life. Rosalia died due to pneumonia in a region which becomes extremely cold in the winter months. The beautifully peaceful yet pallid face of the fallen angel Rosalia Lombardo is a chilling aide-mmoire that death can come anytime and to anyone. all right reserved COOKIES & PRIVACY POLICY, 2023 by Albaincoming Eurofirst Tours. Top Image: Rosalia Lombardo. Required fields are marked *. [7] The embalming formula is described as "one part glycerin, one part formalin saturated with zinc sulfate and zinc chloride, and one part of an alcohol solution saturated with salicylic acid", and was entered into the body through a single-point injection, most likely into the femoral artery via a gravity injector. To address these concerns, Rosalia Lombardos body was relocated to a more dry area of the catacombs, and her original coffin was put in a hermetically sealed glass container filled with nitrogen gas to prevent further decomposition. The mummy is still one of the tombs finest preserved corpses. General Mario Lombardo, who is said to have been so grief-stricken when she died that he refused to bury her and instead chose to have her body preserved. 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. However, they are not perfectly closed, they are actually ajar, as if it were sleeping, yes, but on the verge of waking up. You can also read the documentation to learn about Wordfence's blocking tools, or visit wordfence.com to learn more about Wordfence. The mystery was soon solved when he observed that a filtration of light from the windows was catching her eye-lens to cause the illusion of life. Most visitors to her mummified remains say she is a miracle because she blinks even though she has been dead for a long time. Rosalia's body remains in perfect condition despite more than 100 years having passed, but it is also true that researchers and scholars have created a specially designed latest generation case for the little sleeping beauty of Sicily. 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. Is it better to believe in science or in the irrational? Source: Multidetector CT investigation of the mummy of Rosalia Lombardo (19181920): https://www.academia.edu/4992159/Multidetector_CT_investigation_of_ Geni requires JavaScript! Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Husband of Assunta Mananizza Father of Eugenia Lombardo and Rosalinda Lombardo. The Italian biological anthropologist was able to debunk the myths about Rosalia Lombardo. The techniques used by Alfredo Salafia have marveled many. Losing a child is always a tragedy, and if it is a child of just a few years of life, the tragedy is undoubtedly even greater and more difficult to bear. Also, check out Children of Llullaillaco: Where Young Children Were Sacrificed to the Gods. A strange phenomenon that scared all tourists visiting the catacombs was that the mummy was blinking. : 02075400842, 2023 by Albaincoming Eurofirst Tours. Rosalia Lombardo: The Mummy That Blinks. Thanks to the technological tools we have today, the researchers noticed the presence of an empty bottle under the little girl's head. However, once down the stairs the scene begins to change to a more basic overlay. This process does not offer any kind of respect for the facial features, but despite this there were many people who sought such treatment. Mario and Maria are not married at the time of Rosalia's birth, but they are very much in love. 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. According to him, everything people are seeing is actually an optical illusion. Thanks to Salafia's embalming techniques, the body was well-preserved. Bronchopneumonia, diphtheria, typhus, over the years these have been the most widespread theories on the death of little Rosalia. In 2009, an MRI scan of the little girl was performed, to see the state of preservation of the interior of the body. Her name is Rosalia Lombardo who died on November 6th, 1920 with only two summers to her name and remains the youngest on show. She looks like a baby peacefully taking a nap, and although a blanket is placed over the coffin, the face is visible. In 1920, a little girl known as Rosalia Lombardo died at the age of two due to an aggravated case of pneumonia. Their families would continue to fund the monks who cared for the deceased for example with new clothes. Advertising Disclosure: This content may use referral links. Its stunning streets and crossroads run to the Capuchin Monastery, another building of fine intricate beauty. He used many modern and original techniques to mummify young Rosalia to perfection. It is December 13, 1918. 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. Her body is kept in a small chapel placed on a wooden pedestal. On the historical island of Sicily sits the Sicilian capital of Palermo, resting on the toe of Italys boot-based geographical shape. He made a small puncture and injected a mixture of zinc salts, formalin, glycerin, and salicylic acid. Bipin Dimri is a writer from India with an educational background in Management Studies. Most of the people that go to visit her mummified body believe that she is a miracle since she keeps blinking even though she has been dead for a long time. But Salafia did something different. Rosalia Lombardos one hundred year old body may be the most beautifully embalmed body in the world. To tell the truth, many people claim to have seen his eyelids blink. The Normans were a group from France unified by a famous Viking called Rollo who took over much of Europe. All of which would have had a unique story to tell. It is reasonable to believe that the embalmer made a choice of this type to pay homage to this young missing soul, to ensure that this body could give the appearance of life. One resident was not famous in her short life but became infamous in death. Suddenly, however, fate plays a mocking trick on the couple. Rosalias body is now preserved in a new glass coffin, which is designed to block the growth of fungi or bacteria. Rosalia's body was one of the last to be admitted to the Capuchin catacombs of Palermo in Sicily. Catacombe dei Cappuccini | Palermo, Italy, Fact Analysis: It is so amazingly well-maintained that even X-rays show the internal organs to be intact. This entry was posted by Caleb Wilde on March 1, 2015 at 9:18 pm, and is filed under Aggregate Death. That same year, Capuchin catacombs curator Dario Piombino-Mascali discovered a handwritten manuscript written by Salafia, wherein he lists the ingredients used to mummify Rosalia. Thanks to Salafia, the body was well preserved. 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">. He then approached the monks who ran the Capuchin Catacombs and begged for his daughter to be placed there. The formula consisted of formalin, zinc salts, alcohol, salicylic acid, and glycerin. 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. VAT No. The typical embalming procedures include the complete removal of organs. It seems that it was a common practice to insert a bottle in the coffin containing the reagent capable of preventing the formation of mold and ensuring that the body was preserved longer. Maria di Cara, his partner, has in fact just given birth to their first daughter, Rosalia. A Net Inceptions project. Others passed this phenomenon off as changes of the light. Her premature death at age two left her father grief-stricken. A city steeped in religious history; it was also home to a Catholic sect called the Capuchins (An order of friars and one of the main offshoots of the Franciscan order created by famous religious devout Francis of Assisi). Palermo is a city with amazing architecture which much of its designs remaining from the Norman and Arab invasions. It seems that it was the video surveillance cameras that noticed this light and slow movement. Life is full of constant reminders that we will one day die. But the girl, whose second birthday celebration would have been in just seven days, had lost her fight against pneumonia, and with it all, Mario had . Not only that, he also added paraffin, duly dissolved in ether. Some said this was her spirit returning to her body. Mario Lombardo, her father, wanted to uncover the specific cause of her death so he could "blame" someone. You will then receive an email that helps you regain access. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. He also sought the embalmers elixir of preservation which has kept her form so perfect even until this day. In the 1970s, the notes describing Rosalias mummification were found. Rosalia's father, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. But the proof of her heritage doesn't exist. Further analysis of the body show that all the organs are intact. 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