Husband of Maria Di Cara The notes are yet another formula for several chemicals used in mummification: Rosalia Lombardo is also known as the Capuchin Catacombs Sleeping Beauty. Her mummified remains has been kept at Palermos Catacombe dei Cappuccini, a location packed with mummified bodies and other peoples corpses from throughout history. Rosalia Lombardo (December 13, 1918 in Palermo, Italy - December 6, 1920), was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. 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. To tell the truth, many people claim to have seen his eyelids blink. Your access to this service has been limited. He studied and experimented, yes, but in total autonomy. Heres some history and a video: Rosalia Lombardo (December 13, 1918 in Palermo, Italy December 6, 1920), was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. The empty body is then filled with natron salts, which desiccate it. The latter was a Sicilian little girl born in 1918 and dead in 1920 of pneumonia, at just two years. The catacombs are open nearly everyday and the entry fee is only 3 euros. The changing direction of the light through the day makes Rosalias eyes seem to open and close many times. Her golden blonde hair is very neatly tied with a beautiful silk bow. Rosalia captures the hearts of thousands each year. What is certain, however, is that Alfredo Salaria was a great lover of chemistry as well as anatomy and over the years he had the opportunity to do many experiments, first on animal bodies, then starting from the early 1900s also on human corpses. Rosalia died due to pneumonia in a region which becomes extremely cold in the winter months. She lies in the coffin, glass-covered and on a wooden pedestal. First solid scientific evidence that Vikings brought animals to Britain, 500,000-year-old tools in Polish cave may have belonged to extinct hominid species. The formula consisted of formalin, zinc salts, alcohol, salicylic acid, and glycerin. Further analysis of the body show that all the organs are intact. The monks agreed and she was one of the last mummies placed in the catacombs. 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. It is December 13, 1918. To add further to the folklore surrounding the Sleeping Beauty, rumor had it that Rosalia would blink multiple times a day. Since 1920, her body has been lying in a glass-covered coffin, her head poking above a fading silk blanket. In fact, a few years ago it was realized that the girl's face was going to meet a normal decay. But the proof of her heritage doesn't exist. The mummy is still one of the tombs finest preserved corpses. (Sibeaster / Wikimedia Commons). Alfredo Salafia was regarded as the finest because of his extensive knowledge in the preservation of corpses. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. Rosalia is surrounded by many other bodies, over 8000, who sleep their eternal sleep in the Catacombs of the Capuchins. Upcoming historian with over 30 million views online. The story of Rosalia is speculated, but unknown. One piece of evidence pointing to Mario being her father is that he supposedly named his second daughter Rosalia (after the first). [2] Her mummified body was preserved in theCatacombe dei Cappuccini(The Capuchin Catacombs)in Palermo, a place filled with mummified bodies and corpses of other people throughout history. Caligulas stunning 2,000-year-old sapphire ring tells of a dramatic love story, Evidence of a 14,000-year-old settlement found in western Canada, Archaeologists locate earliest known North American settlement, 2,400-year-old baskets still filled with fruit found in the submerged Egyptian city, 9,000-year-old site near Jerusalem is the Big Bang of prehistory settlement, Oldest stone tools ever found were not made by human hands, study suggests, Mysterious skeleton revealed to be that of unusual lady anchoress of York Barbican. A tuft of hair is also held in place by a yellow bow. Who is right? (Sibeaster / Wikimedia Commons). 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. Rosalia Lombardo (December 13, 1918 - December 6, 1920), was an Italian child who passed away of pneumonia. We have detected that you are using extensions to block ads. Rosalia's father, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. Maria di Cara, his partner, has in fact just given birth to their first daughter, Rosalia. Managed by: David Nicholas Yustin: Watch on Mario Lombardo was overcome by grief when his only child died of pneumonia. It was founded in 734 BC by the Phoenician Empire who we have spoken about many times onSTSTW Mediaas one of the defining civilisations of our time. Many people believed that Lombardo had opened her eyes a fraction of an inch in a composite of many time-lapse photographs. There is one last curiosity concerning Rosalia Lombardo. Who is wrong? In the 1970s, the notes describing Rosalias mummification were found. MYSTERIESRUNSOLVED & MRU MEDIA, 2019-2022. While her eyes generally open just slightly more than 1/8th of an inch, they open to reveal perfectly intact baby blue eyes. Available at: https://www.amusingplanet.com/2017/01/rosalia-lombardo-mummy-that-blinks.html, Mystery of The Blinking Child Mummy Solved. The researchers wanted to see what state his body was in. Looking closer, you can notice that her eyelids are not completely closed, which was most likely done with Alfredo Salafias goal of making her more alive. 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. Her grieving father couldn't settle . [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. Your email address will not be published. Piombino-Mascali, in trying to find out the formula, tracked down the living relatives of the embalmer. 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. Alfredo Salaria arrived at the house of the Lombardo spouses, located in Piazza San Francesco di Paola, about 24 hours after the child's death. Notes documenting Rosalias mummification were discovered in the 1970s. Rosalia's father, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. These blue eyes, like the rest of her body, are remarkably intact. Zinc to petrify the body. ", "Why Does This Child Mummy Appear to Open And Close Her Eyes? 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. After 7 months from the birth of the child they also decide to get married, aware that they need to take this step in order to guarantee serenity and tranquility for their family. Daughter of Mario Lombardo and Maria Di Cara However, they are not perfectly closed, they are actually ajar, as if it were sleeping, yes, but on the verge of waking up. On December 6, 1920, a few days after her second birthday, Rosalia died. Perhaps it is precisely for this reason that Rosalia's parents requested that the child's body be entrusted to Alfredo Salaria, one of the most famous embalmers of the twentieth century, with the hope in this way of being able to pay homage to the memory of the little girl, torn all too young to life, with the hope of being able to stop the passage of time. Thanks to Salafias embalming techniques, the body was well preserved. Surely, some will say, Alfredo Salaria has studied a lot to obtain this surprising result. 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. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Suddenly, however, fate plays a mocking trick on the couple. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Amazingly, 8000 skeletons (although a more accurate number is said to be closer to 2,000) and around 1250 mummies inhabit the catacombs. 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. [5] 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. Some photographs taken in sequence, at intervals of about one minute, also offered a similar testimony. Its thought that changes in temperature inside the crypt cause her eyelids to contract to produce the blinking effect. This process does not offer any kind of respect for the facial features, but despite this there were many people who sought such treatment. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. The embalming took place right there, in that house where the little girl lived her first two years of life, happy and surrounded by the love of her family. The body of Rosalia Lombardo is certainly not the first on which Alfredo Salaria put his hands, considered one of the best embalmers of the twentieth century, chosen by many noble families over the years to create bodies for their loved ones. It should be remembered that in 1925, five years after Rosalia's death, the Lombard couple had another baby girl, who was called with the same name as their little sister, in her eternal memory. The techniques used by Alfredo Salafia have marveled many. The Lombardo family was from Italy and even if the Spanish flu pandemic was coming to an end, it seems that the girls pneumonia was caused by this deadly virus. Compared to when the body was placed in the Catacombs of the Capuchins, it seems that the skin of the child's face has become darker and that the hair has instead lightened, from brown to blond. They moved to other Italian cities and then also abroad, thus without having the opportunity to choose a cemetery where to bury their child. [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? It is difficult to untangle the feelings aroused by Rosalia, innocent and young, yet frozen between worlds, un-allowed to decay least her family lose her spirit forever. We can only imagine the agony of the parents of little Rosalia. . Rosalia's dad, Official Mario Lombardo, was sorely grieved after her death, so he approached Alfredo Salafia, a noted embalmer, to preserve her. Biblio data only below the dashed line. But what curiosity are we talking about? 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. Her father Mario Lombardo was understandably so beset with heartache that he sought out a renowned local embalmer by the name of Alfredo Salafia. The little girl died and her father was extremely upset. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. Rosalia's father, Official Mario Lombardo, was sorely grieved upon her death, so he approached Alfredo Salafia, a noted embalmer, to preserve her. , thanks to the possibility that he was granted access to the anatomical school of Professor Randaccio. Agatha Christies Disappearance: Amnesia, Suicide, or Despair? Glycerin prevented her body from desiccating or drying out. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'historyofyesterday_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_8',119,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofyesterday_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');However,Dario Piombino- Mascali, the curator of Capuchin Catacombs has assured us that all that people are seeing is, in fact, an optical illusion. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. 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. This added to an intricate system of drying rooms within the catacombs which implement pipes to drain any excess water and ultimately keep the bodies of the deceased dry. Salafia recorded the chemicals he injected into Rosalias body: formalin, zinc salts, alcohol, salicylic acid, and glycerin., Formalin (formaldehyde and water) eliminates bacteria Moreover, her striking crystal blue eyes are also visible underneath the blonde eyelashes. 2009-2021 Historic Mysteries. Mario, her father, approached Alfredo Salafia, embalmer and taxidermist, to preserve her. He then approached the monks who ran the Capuchin Catacombs and begged for his daughter to be placed there. Wordfence is a security plugin installed on over 4 million WordPress sites. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. When he uncovered this trove of the embalmers papers, he stumbled upon the document where the embalmer recorded all the chemicals that were injected in the body of Rosalia. Why is he still there now that it's been over 100 years since his death? The name of that girl is Rosalia Lombardo, who tragically died due to pneumonia in 1920, at the age of two. Thanks to the technological tools we have today, the researchers noticed the presence of an empty bottle under the little girl's head. He approached a popular embalmer, Alfredo Salafia and asked to have her preserved for eternity. all right reserved COOKIES & PRIVACY POLICY, 2023 by Albaincoming Eurofirst Tours. Read more on Wikipedia. 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. Rosalia's father, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. In fact, some say that Rosalia amplifies human nature in regards to the fascination of the unknown, specifically death and also with the immorality of an immortal body. But, the fact is, that theres not even a single photo of Rosalia when she was alive to validate any part of her history. Mario Lombardo, Rosalia's father, was determined to find out the exact cause of her death in order to assign blame. People Projects . Maria di Cara, his partner, has in fact just given birth to their first daughter, Rosalia. What is certain, however, is that Rosalia's parents traveled a lot in the years following her death, for work reasons. According to Piombino-Mascali, the blinking eyes of Rosalia were just an optical illusion, caused when light from windows strikes her eyes at different angles. It also appears that over the years, perhaps the 1960s or 1970s, the glass in the coffin broke. 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. Within Palermo, the catacombs are a short walk from the city center, but public transportation is also available. Not only do visitors swear that the little girls eyes blink, but many sequences of photographs seem to confirm that her eyelids open and close a little. So what is legend passed down for the romanticism of love and loss, and what is the truth? Mario and Maria are not married at the time of Rosalia's birth, but they are very much in love. A 2009 National Geographic photograph of Rosalia Lombardo shows the mummy is beginning to show signs of decomposition, most notably discoloration. The owner of this site is using Wordfence to manage access to their site. One piece of evidence pointing to Mario being her father is that he supposedly named his second daughter Rosalia (after the first). 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. Alfredo Salaria used glycerin, formalin, zinc salts, alcohol and salicylic acid on the body of little Rosalia. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Many of these ingredients are commonly used today, but the shining star of this concoction is the zinc salts which essentially petrified her body. One of the properties that makes Rosalia such a beautiful mummy is the embalming process that was used to preserve her. Her name is Rosalia Lombardo who died on November 6th, 1920 with only two summers to her name and remains the youngest on show. A strange phenomenon that scared all tourists visiting the catacombs was that the mummy was blinking. Directories Newly added. There he found Salafias surviving records. 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). Their families would continue to fund the monks who cared for the deceased for example with new clothes. [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. Ninety years ago, on December 6, 1920 Rosalia, daughter of Official Mario Lombardo, died of pneumonia at the age of two. X-rays of the body show that all the organs are remarkably intact. 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