Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Maria di Cara, his partner, has in fact just given birth to their first daughter, Rosalia. He has written for 8 years in a variety of fields including history, health and politics. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. 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.. Zinc salts to keep a state of preservation But Salafia did something different. The combination of these ingredients worked to preserve the body. Their families would continue to fund the monks who cared for the deceased for example with new clothes. Much of their rules involved living in as much austerity that was practical. Who is right? We can only imagine the agony of the parents of little Rosalia. Daughter of Mario Lombardo and Maria Di Cara 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. The story of Rosalia Lombardo got to Profesor Salafia, therefore he never charged the father for his services. This shifting of her body allowed Piombino-Mascali to see her eyelids from a new angle. Salicylic acid to stop the growth of fungi These blue eyes, like the rest of her body, are remarkably intact. 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. Surely, some will say, Alfredo Salaria has studied a lot to obtain this surprising result. 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. While Rosalia was mostly kept intact during embalming, her blood was drained and replaced by the magical formula used by Alfredo. Despite providing her with the greatest medicine available at the time, she was still extremely young and lacked the necessary immune system to combat bronchopneumonia. Missing Three Flannan Isles Lighthouse Keepers. 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 formula consisted of formalin, zinc salts, alcohol, salicylic acid, and glycerin. The mummy is one of the best preserved bodies in the catacombs. The daughter was always sick. He also sought the embalmers elixir of preservation which has kept her form so perfect even until this day. Perhaps the period close to the feast of the dead is precisely the most suitable! Salafia recorded the chemicals he injected into Rosalias body: formalin, zinc salts, alcohol, salicylic acid, and glycerin., Formalin (formaldehyde and water) eliminates bacteria Rosalia died due to pneumonia in a region which becomes extremely cold in the winter months. [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. 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. In the 100 years since her death in 1920, Rosalia has become interwoven with Sicilian lore. She now attracts thousands of visitors to the Capuchin Catacombs in Sicily where she lays forever encased in glass. A 2009 National Geographic photograph of Rosalia Lombardo shows the mummy is beginning to show signs of decomposition, most notably discoloration. Thanks to Salafia's embalming techniques, the body was well-preserved. A strange phenomenon that scared all tourists visiting the catacombs was that the mummy was blinking. Shes located in the Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo, Sicily with over 8,000 other mummies. The story of love, loss, beauty and tragedy have captured thousands of people through multiple generations. Source: Multidetector CT investigation of the mummy of Rosalia Lombardo (19181920): https://www.academia.edu/4992159/Multidetector_CT_investigation_of_ Geni requires JavaScript! 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. But the proof of her heritage doesn't exist. All the other bodies present were in fact emptied of their internal organs and then left to rest for about a year. Rosalia's daddy, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. 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. 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. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0.You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. Rosalia Lombardo is known by many names; The Worlds Most Beautiful Mummy, Sleeping Beauty, The Girl In The Glass Coffin and of course: The Best Preserved Mummy In The World. 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. Available at: https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2014/06/mystery-of-blinking-child-mummy-solved.html. Alfredo Salafia was regarded as the finest because of his extensive knowledge in the preservation of corpses. He approached a popular embalmer, Alfredo Salafia and asked to have her preserved for eternity. What happened to little Rosalia's body after she died. After which, they were bathed in vinegar and stuffed with hay. 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. 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. Researchers and scholars had made many hypotheses, but without any evidence and without having official documentation. 2022 History of Yesterday | All Rights Reserved. Mario Lombardo is an infantry officer who only on this day discovers what happiness is, true happiness. Rosalia Lombardos one hundred year old body may be the most beautifully embalmed body in the world. Managed by: David Nicholas Yustin: The catacombs are open nearly everyday and the entry fee is only 3 euros. Rosalia Lombardos story reached Professor Salafia, as he never charged his father for his services. The monks agreed and she was one of the last mummies placed in the catacombs. The little girl died and her father was extremely upset. (HTTP response code 503). 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. The corpse was preserved nearly perfectly due to the dry atmosphere inside the Catacomb. 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. A tuft of hair is also held in place by a yellow bow. Rosalia Lombardo (13 December 1918 - 6 December 1920)[1] was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. However, they are not perfectly closed, they are actually ajar, as if it were sleeping, yes, but on the verge of waking up. He then approached the monks who ran the Capuchin Catacombs and begged for his daughter to be placed there. 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. 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. Rosalia Lombardo. A Net Inceptions project. 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. 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. (Sibeaster / Wikimedia Commons). Her name is Rosalia Lombardo who died on November 6th, 1920 with only two summers to her name and remains the youngest on show. Rosalia Lombardo. Rosalia's father, Mario Lombardo, was distraught by her death and asked embalmer Alfredo Salafia to preserve her remains. These cookies do not store any personal information. The grid is of the coffin beneath the body (Source:National Geographic). The eyes slightly open and reveal the intact blue irises. Father of Rosalia Lombardo and Rosalia Lombardo. How did you succeed in this feat? It is so amazingly well-maintained that even X-rays show the internal organs to be intact. I spend many hours researching her and you can read more about that here if you want. There he found Salafias surviving records. Mario Lombardo, her father, wanted to uncover the specific cause of her death so he could "blame" someone. 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. 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. Rosalia Lombardo (13 December 1918 6 December 1920)[1] was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. Where is the Body of the Legendary King Gorm of Denmark? 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. Life goes on happily for Mario and Maria. Historic Mysteries provides captivating articles on archaeology, history, and unexplained mysteries. But why the bottle under Rosalia's head is completely empty remains an inexplicable mystery. Piombino-Mascali, in trying to find out the formula, tracked down the living relatives of the embalmer. 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. For after all, the dead have no need for grand decorations in this realm they leave behind. Life is full of constant reminders that we will one day die. 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. A corridor of mummies inside the catacombs. The body of little Rosalia has closed eyelids as if she were sleeping. But what curiosity are we talking about? Agatha Christies Disappearance: Amnesia, Suicide, or Despair? It was still a mystery until the curator of Capuchin catacombs, Dario Piombino-Mascali, proved a new theory. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 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. The Lombardo family was Italian, and despite the fact that the Spanish flu pandemic was coming to an end, the girls pneumonia appeared to have been caused by this lethal illness. If you think you have been blocked in error, contact the owner of this site for assistance. Amazingly, 8000 skeletons (although a more accurate number is said to be closer to 2,000) and around 1250 mummies inhabit the catacombs. 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. 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 story was a tragedy by all accounts: Mario Lombardo, now a grieving father, couldn't bear the thought of a life without ever being able to see the face of his beloved child, Rosalia, again. Is it better to believe in science or in the irrational? He then handed it over to the researchers who discovered the formula right there to guarantee a body the eternal sleep it deserves. All of which would have had a unique story to tell. Maybe he finished middle school, nothing more. The other bodies present in the catacombs. Rosalia Lombardo (Born December 13, 1918 and Died December 6, 1920) was a Palmerian toddler who died one week before her second birthday from pneumonia caused by the Spanish flu. 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. 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. According to him, everything people are seeing is actually an optical illusion. Maria Cara Lombardo e Mario Lombardo, i genitori della piccola Rosalia (per gentile concessione della . 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. (Sibeaster / Wikimedia Commons). [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. After washing with vinegar, they were filled with straw and then dressed. Thousands of visitors from across the world have come to see the girl, intrigued by the many reports that the eyes of the dead body are blinking. Rosalia Lombardo in her glass coffin. Husband of Maria Di Cara Rosalia Lombardo sadly passed away just before her second birthday back in 1920 due to a case of pneumonia, which experts suggest was likely caused by the Spanish flu pandemic. They were famed for their Romanesque architecture, characterized by semi-circular arches. One resident was not famous in her short life but became infamous in death. Rosalia Lombardos Xray By National Geographic. Rosalia Lombardo born on December 13, 1918, was a Sicilian kid that died of pneumonia on December 6, 1920 from the Spanish flu. If you are a WordPress user with administrative privileges on this site, please enter your email address in the box below and click "Send". Indeed, it is quite difficult to gaze at the little body lying in the glass coffin and still not believe that the girl will awaken at any moment.

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