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Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo
8,000 mummified corpses line the walls, dressed in their finest clothes. Rosalia Lombardo, dead since 1920, appears to blink. The monks who embalmed them still walk the corridors.
1599 - Present
Palermo, Sicily, Italy
50000+ witnesses
The Capuchin Catacombs display death’s eternal face.
The Collection
8,000 bodies:
- Monks originally
- Then wealthy citizens
- 1599 to 1920
- Preserved by climate
- Still dressed
The Categories
Organized dead:
- Monks
- Professionals
- Women
- Children
- Virgins
Rosalia Lombardo
Sleeping beauty:
- Died 1920, age 2
- Best preserved
- Appears to blink
- Eyes open/close
- Scientific explanation?
The Preservation
Capuchin method:
- Bodies dehydrated
- Dipped in vinegar
- Dressed in clothes
- Posed standing
- Remarkable condition
The Activity
Visitor reports:
- Cold spots
- Followed feeling
- Eyes track movement
- Whispers heard
- Profound unease
Modern Access
Tourist destination:
- Still open
- Photos allowed
- Profound experience
- Face mortality
- Life’s fragility