Rosalia's father, Official Mario Lomba. 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. The formalin wiped out all the bacteria, and the salicylic acid helped in removing any fungi present in the flesh. The heartbroken father of Rosalia sought the help of an embalmer named Alfredo Salafia to preserve his childs body. Historic Mysteries provides captivating articles on archaeology, history, and unexplained mysteries. According to him, everything people are seeing is actually an optical illusion. [6] The mummy remains one of the best preserved bodies in the catacombs. The Lombardo family was . Life goes on happily for Mario and Maria. 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. all right reserved. Why is he still there now that it's been over 100 years since his death? In regards to the prized and most adored attraction Roaslia -a glass case has been added with Nitrogen gas to further stop the process of decay after signs of decomposition began to show in 2009. 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. (HTTP response code 503). But why did the body of little Rosalia Lombardo remain in the Capuchin Catacombs for so long? [3] Sometimes called "Sleeping Beauty", hers was one of the last corpses to be admitted to the Capuchin catacombs of Palermo in Sicily. Avid Writer with invaluable knowledge of Humanity! The body of Rosalia is famous among the 8,000 bodies present in these catacombs under the Capuchin convent. Zinc to petrify the body. Many of these ingredients are commonly used today, but the shining star of this concoction is the zinc salts which essentially petrified her body. Rosalia Lombardos one hundred year old body may be the most beautifully embalmed body in the world. Agatha Christies Disappearance: Amnesia, Suicide, or Despair? Rosalia's dad, Official Mario Lombardo, was sorely grieved after her death, so he approached Alfredo Salafia, a noted embalmer, to preserve her. It also appears that over the years, perhaps the 1960s or 1970s, the glass in the coffin broke. Maria Cara Lombardo e Mario Lombardo, i genitori della piccola Rosalia (per gentile concessione della . Your email address will not be published. Alfredo Salafia was regarded as the finest because of his extensive knowledge in the preservation of corpses. Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. These blue eyes, like the rest of her body, are remarkably intact. Rosalia Lombardo (December 13, 1918 in Palermo, Italy - December 6, 1920), was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. Geni requires JavaScript! Her story to this day is passed on by the monks who still work in the catacombs. Her grieving father couldn't settle . Obviously it was expensive, for this reason these bodies almost all belong to people of high class. Most visitors to her mummified remains say she is a miracle because she blinks even though she has been dead for a long time. Generated by Wordfence at Thu, 2 Mar 2023 1:21:04 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString());. 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. 2009-2021 Historic Mysteries. This entry was posted by Caleb Wilde on March 1, 2015 at 9:18 pm, and is filed under Aggregate Death. A strange phenomenon that scared all tourists visiting the catacombs was that the mummy was blinking. In the depths of the Capuchin catacombs of Palermo in Sicily lies the dead body of a young girl in a wooden and glass casket. But the magical element was the zinc salts which gave Rosalias body rigidity. Alcohol dries the body The father refused to bury his daughter, seemingly extremely traumatized because of losing his child.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'historyofyesterday_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_5',104,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofyesterday_com-medrectangle-3-0'); Rosalias death took place only a week shy of her second birthday. The story of Rosalia Lombardo got to Profesor Salafia, therefore he never charged the father for his services. 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. Available at: https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2014/06/mystery-of-blinking-child-mummy-solved.html. (Sibeaster / Wikimedia Commons). The formula consisted of formalin, zinc salts, alcohol, salicylic acid, and glycerin. People were curious to know what was causing the dead body to blink. Children of Llullaillaco: Where Young Children Were Sacrificed to the Gods, Church of the Dead: Home to the Peculiar Mummies of Provincial Italy. Home. Piombino-Mascali, in trying to find out the formula, tracked down the living relatives of the embalmer. He used many modern and original techniques to mummify young Rosalia to perfection. Rosalia Lombardo: The Mummy That Blinks. According to the laws of the time, in fact, the embalmed bodies should have remained in the Catacombs only temporarily, only to later find a definitive burial, a burial that Rosalia never had. Some said this was her spirit returning to her body. Where is the Body of the Legendary King Gorm of Denmark? (The oldest is a friar from 1599 called Silvestro da Gubbio). Rosalia Lombardo, was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. Thanks to Salafia's embalming . In fact, the body of little Rosalia has organs in a perfect state of preservation and you can see how one lung is denser than the other, a clear sign that the little girl actually fell ill with bronchopneumonia. Biblio data only below the dashed line. 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 Mummified Two-Year-Old Appears to Blink Every Day", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rosalia_Lombardo&oldid=1135738502, Sleeping Beauty of the Capuchin Catacombs, Being in an especially well preserved state in her tomb, in the, This page was last edited on 26 January 2023, at 15:26. 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. 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. | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | DMCA Notice, This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Impossible to answer these questions. 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. Rosalia's father, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. 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. 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 . Rosalia Lombardo born on December 13, 1918, was a Sicilian kid that died of pneumonia on December 6, 1920 from the Spanish flu. This process does not offer any kind of respect for the facial features, but despite this there were many people who sought such treatment. You will then receive an email that helps you regain access. Source: Multidetector CT investigation of the mummy of Rosalia Lombardo (19181920): https://www.academia.edu/4992159/Multidetector_CT_investigation_of_ Geni requires JavaScript! This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Thanks to Salafia, the body was well preserved. 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. Her body is kept in a small chapel placed on a wooden pedestal. 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. Mario was grieving so much after her death that he asked Alfredo Salafia (a well-known Italian chemist) to mummify her and keep her as alive as possible (looking). Alfredo Salaria used glycerin, formalin, zinc salts, alcohol and salicylic acid on the body of little Rosalia. 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. Since 1920, her body has been lying in a glass-covered coffin, her head poking above a fading silk blanket. The paraffin dissolved in the ether, then wiped on the girls face, making it look like she is looking directly at those who are looking at her. Full text data coming soon. The glass case also protects the body from any effects of light. Rosalia Lombardo (13 December 1918 - 6 December 1920) was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. The grid is of the coffin beneath the body (Source:National Geographic). 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. Accept Read More, https://www.youtube.com/embed/jrbbOCuDJCE, Post Mortem Photography Immortalizing the Dead, Padre Pio Stigmata, Miracle Worker or Fraud, https://www.amusingplanet.com/2017/01/rosalia-lombardo-mummy-that-blinks.html, https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2014/06/mystery-of-blinking-child-mummy-solved.html. Watch on Mario Lombardo was overcome by grief when his only child died of pneumonia. 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. Curiosities about the body of Rosalia, who seems to be blinking. 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. Who is wrong? The mummy is still one of the tombs finest preserved corpses. 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. Rosalias body is now preserved in a new glass coffin, which is designed to block the growth of fungi or bacteria. Rosalia's father, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. The eyes slightly open and reveal the intact blue irises. There he found Salafias surviving records. 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. We can only imagine the agony of the parents of little Rosalia. Rosalia Lombardo. Who is right? It is a location rich in history between Europe and Africa on the banks of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Others passed this phenomenon off as changes of the light. 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. Alba incoming - Eurofirst Tours But even so, there are many who prefer to believe that her spirit really does return to her body! It is considered one of the best-preserved mummies in the world. 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. 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. Rosalia Lombardo (13 December 1918 - 6 December 1920) was a Palermitan child who died of pneumonia, resulting from the Spanish flu, one week before her second birthday. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Her father Mario Lombardo, who was an local official, engaged noted embalmer, Alfredo Salafia to mummify her body. (Sibeaster / Wikimedia Commons). And the body of Alfredo Salaria? A corridor of mummies inside the catacombs. He made a small puncture and injected a mixture of zinc salts, formalin, glycerin, and salicylic acid. Your access to this service has been limited. The little girl died and her father was extremely upset. The Normans were a group from France unified by a famous Viking called Rollo who took over much of Europe. All the other bodies present were in fact emptied of their internal organs and then left to rest for about a year. So what is legend passed down for the romanticism of love and loss, and what is the truth? Piombino-Mascali hopes that visitors will stop making any new stories about the little child mummy. Its thought that changes in temperature inside the crypt cause her eyelids to contract to produce the blinking effect. Rosalia was born on December 13, 1918 and died on December 6, 1920 of pneumonia. Get notified of the best best booming posts weekly. Rosalias preserved body came out looking like the most alive mummy in the world. The impact of a new culture of Nordic tradition on Sicily in the 11th-12th century led to a new architectural style: Palermos Arab-Norman architecture introduced innovative elements from the north of Europe, such astowers at the sides of faades, within Byzantine layouts, such as the greek-cross plan inscribed in a square, and structural or decorative details of Islamic origin, such as pointed arches. But let's go back to that December 6, 1920. Directories Newly added. Recently, the mummification techniques used by Salafia were discovered in a handwritten memoir of Salafias. Your email address will not be published. (In Pics) Ten Extinct Animals which Survive only in Drawings. 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. Her body was one of the last corpses to be admitted to the Capuchin catacombs of Palermo in Sicily. The catacombs of the Capuchins of Palermo. The Italian biological anthropologist was able to debunk the myths about Rosalia Lombardo. 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. The combination of these ingredients worked to preserve the body. However, the work that Alfredo Salaria managed to carry out on the body of little Rosalia is incredible, his most successful work ever, the body considered the most beautiful in the world by scholars and experts in the sector. 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 also sought the embalmers elixir of preservation which has kept her form so perfect even until this day. The Remains of Dead US Presidents Will Be Sent Into Space, The Man Who Surgically Brought Back Unicorns. MYSTERIESRUNSOLVED & MRU MEDIA, 2019-2022. Some believed that some supernatural force was at work, and that the mummy actually blinked. Enjoyed this article? In fact, the only proof Rosalia the mummy has a sister is that there is a Rosalia Lombardo who was in discussion with the Sicilian government about the poor treatment of Rosalia by National Geographic. Alfredo Salafia was considered the best as he had a lot of experience preserving corpses. The body of little Rosalia has closed eyelids as if she were sleeping. Mario, her father, approached Alfredo Salafia, embalmer and taxidermist, to preserve her. In 1920, a little girl known as Rosalia Lombardo died at the age of two due to an aggravated case of pneumonia. What happened to little Rosalia's body after she died. He was always waiting for . When reports of Rosalia Lombardos eyes opening shocked the local community an Anthropologist called Dario Piombino-Mascali investigated the catacombs. Her father, Mario Lombardo, was so grief stricken that he asked an embalmer to preserve Rosalia's remains. 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. He then handed it over to the researchers who discovered the formula right there to guarantee a body the eternal sleep it deserves. Amazingly, 8000 skeletons (although a more accurate number is said to be closer to 2,000) and around 1250 mummies inhabit the catacombs. Rosalia's father, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. For after all, the dead have no need for grand decorations in this realm they leave behind. 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. 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. Also, check out Children of Llullaillaco: Where Young Children Were Sacrificed to the Gods. Salafia recorded the chemicals he injected into Rosalias body: formalin, zinc salts, alcohol, salicylic acid, and glycerin., Formalin (formaldehyde and water) eliminates bacteria King Abu Bakr IIs mysterious voyage: Was America discovered in the early 14th century? Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0.You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. STSTW Media strives to deliver accurate information through careful research. Scientists have determined that changes in humidity in the catacombs cause changes of pressure in her body and thus her eyes to open. 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. The body was beautifully preserved thanks to Salafias embalming procedures. The embalming of the body of Rosalia Lombardo by Alfredo Salaria. 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. She now attracts thousands of visitors to the Capuchin Catacombs in Sicily where she lays forever encased in glass. 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. Rosalia's father Mario Lombardo was devastated by her death and approached Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her. Ensures basic functionalities and security features of the embalmer is filed under Aggregate death )... 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