Palermo Monastery - one of the most haunted burial grounds

21. 07. 2020
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In Palermo, Italy, it is located below the original 16th-century monastery cemetery one of the most haunted burial grounds. In the south of Italy, in the Sicilian Palermo are located Capuchin catacombs. It is a burial place with a collection more than 8 mummified human bodieswho died in Palermo between the 17th and 19th centuries. In 1599, Capuchin monks made a shocking discovery from a monastery in Palermo when they wanted to exhume bodies from catacombs - many of them found in a preserved state due to natural mummification. After this discovery, the monks decided to mummify and place in the catacombs also one of their own dead, New Year's Eve from Gubbia. Shortly afterwards, other inhabitants of Palermo joined him.

A collection of more than 8 mummified bodies, many of which have been mummified in a natural way.

Originally, the catacombs were intended only for deceased monks

In the following centuries, however, burial in the Capuchin catacombs became a symbol of high social status. The bodies were dehydrated on ceramic vessels and in some cases subsequently washed with vinegar. Some bodies were embalmed and others enclosed in glass cases. The monks were mummified in their daily clothing, in some cases with belts made of rope, which they wore as a symbol of repentance.

Some of the deceased had written wills, the contents of which were in what clothes they were to be buried. Some even demanded that they be disguised after a while. Relatives visited them to pray for their dead and to keep their bodies representative.

The catacombs were maintained from financial donations from relatives of the deceased. Each new body was placed in a temporary place and later moved to a permanent place. As long as the relatives contributed, the body remained in place, but when the relatives stopped paying, the body was set aside on the shelf until payments were resumed.

Mummification was banned in the 80s.

In the 80s, the Sicilian authorities banned mummification, but tourists continued to visit. Brother Riccardo became the last monk buried in the catacombs in 19. The last burials date back to the 1871s. The last person to be rested here in 20 was Rosalia Lombardo, a little girl who was less than two years old. Her body is still completely intact. Long-forgotten but recently rediscovered procedures were used to preserve it.

The embalming procedure performed by Professor Alfred Salafia consisted of using formalin to kill bacteria, alcohol to dry the body, glycerin to prevent excessive drying, salicylic acid to kill fungi and molds, and the most important component - zinc salts (zinc sulfate and zinc chloride) to ensure proper body stiffness. The composition is 1 part glycerin, 1 part formalin saturated with zinc sulphate and chloride and 1 part alcoholic solution saturated with salicylic acid.

Many bodies are still remarkably well preserved

During World War II, American bombs hit the monastery, destroying many mummies. As stated at the last EURAC census in 2011, the catacombs number about 8 dead bodies and 000 mummies stored in their walls. The halls are divided into seven categories: men, women, virgins, children, priests, monks and professors. Some bodies are better preserved than others. The coffins used to be accessible to the families of the deceased, so that on certain days the family of the deceased could hold their hands and thus "participate" in the family prayer.

Many bodies are still remarkably well preserved

The catacombs are now open to the public and photography inside is prohibited. Iron grilles were installed here to prevent tourists from damaging the dead or posing with them.
However, the bodies appeared on television shows such as Channel 4's Coach Trip, the BBC's Francesco's Italy: Top to Toe, Ghosthunting with Paul O'Grady and Friends on ITV2 in 2008 and The Learning Channel in 2000.

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