The story of love, loss, beauty and tragedy have captured thousands of people through multiple generations. 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). Rosalia's father, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. Most visitors to her mummified remains say she is a miracle because she blinks even though she has been dead for a long time. A century has passed, but her corpse still looks like the little girl is just dozing under the glass case of the casket. The mummy of Rosalia Lombardo (Source: The Archaeology News Network), NASA is launching the DNA of some of the most prolific presidents in US history, The 1985 story of a bear that ate 77 pounds of Plabo Escobar's finest cocaine. 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. It is so amazingly well-maintained that even X-rays show the internal organs to be intact. 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. Many of these ingredients are commonly used today, but the shining star of this concoction is the zinc salts which essentially petrified her body. He then approached the monks who ran the Capuchin Catacombs and begged for his daughter to be placed there. Rosalia's father, Mario Lombardo, was distraught by her death and asked embalmer Alfredo Salafia to preserve her remains. The corpse was preserved nearly perfectly due to the dry atmosphere inside the Catacomb. These questions arise spontaneously. Sister of Rosalia Lombardo. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 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. The glass case also protects the body from any effects of light. Recently, the mummification techniques used by Salafia were discovered in a handwritten memoir of Salafias. A tuft of hair is also held in place by a yellow bow. 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. Catacombe dei Cappuccini | Palermo, Italy, Fact Analysis: 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. 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There is one last curiosity concerning Rosalia Lombardo. 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The mummification was so complex that in 2009 National Geographic took X-ray and MRI scans of Rosalia to determine if she was truly mummified, or if she was a wax replica. Life goes on happily for Mario and Maria. Nobody can answer these questions, a mystery that after all it is perhaps good that it remains so. Her premature death at age two left her father grief-stricken. Rosalia's father, official Mario Lombardo, was sorely grieved upon her death, so he approached Alfredo Salafia, a noted embalmer, to undertake the task of preserving her. Rosalia died barely one week before her second birthday. The problem at the time, was that no one knew how Rosalia had been preserved. Rosalia's father, official Mario Lombardo, was sorely grieved upon her death, so he approached Alfredo Salafia, a noted embalmer, to undertake the task of preserving her. A symbol of love, death, loss and a reminder of just how short life can be. A visit to the Catacombs of Capuchin is the ultimate reminder or Memento Mori (in Latin) that we too will join the endless ranks of the dead alas perhaps in not such a spectacular setting. A 2009 National Geographic photograph of Rosalia Lombardo shows the mummy is beginning to show signs of decomposition, most notably discoloration. Rosalia Lombardo (13 December 1918 - 6 December 1920) was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. 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. At a closer look, it can be seen that her eyes are not 100% closed and this was probably done with the intention by Alfredo Salafia to make her look more alive. Rosalia Lombardo - The Blinking Mummy . Rosalia's father, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. Palermo is a city with amazing architecture which much of its designs remaining from the Norman and Arab invasions. What happened to little Rosalia's body after she died. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The zinc sulfate was used to petrify the body. This process does not offer any kind of respect for the facial features, but despite this there were many people who sought such treatment. The monks agreed and she was one of the last mummies placed in the catacombs. To address these concerns, Rosalia Lombardos body was relocated to a more dry area of the catacombs, and her original coffin was put in a hermetically sealed glass container filled with nitrogen gas to prevent further decomposition. While this sparked stories about the mummy who could open her eyes on the internet, in 2009, Italian biological anthropologist Dario Piombino-Mascali disproved the core myth surrounding Rosalia Lombardo. Rosalia's dad, Official Mario Lombardo, was sorely grieved after her death, so he approached Alfredo Salafia, a noted embalmer, to preserve her. After which, they were bathed in vinegar and stuffed with hay. Curiosities about the body of Rosalia, who seems to be blinking. It is interesting how we have reached a technological point that allows us to analyze such mummies without the need of them being touched or at risk of deterioration. The empty body is then filled with natron salts, which desiccate it. I spend many hours researching her and you can read more about that here if you want. What is even more interesting is that upon an X-ray of the mummified corpse, it seems that Rosalinas organs have been perfectly conserved. The embalmers relatives gave him several of Alfredo Salafias documents. The changing direction of the light through the day makes Rosalias eyes seem to open and close many times. And the body of Alfredo Salaria? This mystery of blinking eyes, and the well-preserved body is what makes Rosalias mummy so fascinating. Mario Lombardo, her father, wanted to uncover the specific cause of her death so he could "blame" someone. The dry climate within the Catacombe allowed the body to be preserved near perfection.Gif representing the photo of Rosalia Lombardo taken from different angles (Source: Public Domain). 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. Rosalia Lombardo in her glass coffin. Mario Lombardo, Rosalia's father, was determined to find out the exact cause of her death in order to assign blame. Thanks to Salafias embalming techniques, the body was well preserved. Her story to this day is passed on by the monks who still work in the catacombs. King Abu Bakr IIs mysterious voyage: Was America discovered in the early 14th century? Her father, Mario Lambardo who was a General, was so struck with grief when Rosalia Lombardo died that he couldnt part with her and wanted her placed in the Capuchin Catacombs. all right reserved COOKIES & PRIVACY POLICY, 2023 by Albaincoming Eurofirst Tours. Historic Mysteries provides captivating articles on archaeology, history, and unexplained mysteries. 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. Mario, her father, approached Alfredo Salafia, embalmer and taxidermist, to preserve her. He made a small puncture and injected a mixture of zinc salts, formalin, glycerin, and salicylic acid. Mario Lombardo refused to bury her daughter, claiming that losing his son had left him distraught. Others passed this phenomenon off as changes of the light. 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. The daughter was always sick. 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. (Sibeaster / Wikimedia Commons). The results were staggering, showing that she was indeed truly a mummy and that even her organs were still in functional condition. 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. Rosalia Lombardo (13 December 1918 6 December 1920)[1] was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. Daughter of Mario Lombardo and Maria Di Cara 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. X-rays of the body show that all the organs are remarkably intact. The body was beautifully preserved thanks to Salafias embalming procedures. It is considered one of the best-preserved mummies in the world. Researchers and scholars had made many hypotheses, but without any evidence and without having official documentation. Your email address will not be published. Friars live their lives in servitude to society and the Capuchin friars created a monastery which in due course had the crypts below it excavated in 1599 when the graveyards filled henceforth known as the Catacombs of the Capuchins. Mario Lombardo is an infantry officer who only on this day discovers what happiness is, true happiness. Thanks to Salafia, the body was well preserved. Zinc salts to keep a state of preservation 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's face has very sweet features, with the plump cheeks of a two-year-old girl, delicately framed by fair hair. 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. Even the best body at some point goes towards a process of decomposition, even if only partial. Your access to this service has been limited. Glycerin keeping the body from becoming too dry Created By: Gillian Sarah | Copyright 2018 Kelsea Ventures, style="display:block; text-align:center;" data-ad-layout="in-article" data-ad-format="fluid" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3840146551937959" data-ad-slot="9292028712">. 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. He was always waiting for . 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. However, things can go wrong. 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's daddy, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. Rosalia Lombardos body is kept in a small chapel at the end of the catacombs tour and is encased in a glass covered coffin, placed on a wooden pedestal. 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. [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. Get notified of the best best booming posts weekly. The Italian biological anthropologist was able to debunk the myths about Rosalia Lombardo. Scientists have determined that changes in humidity in the catacombs cause changes of pressure in her body and thus her eyes to open. Accordingly, the formulas composition is one part glycerin, one part formalin saturated with both zinc sulfate and chloride, and one part of an alcohol solution saturated with salicylic acid.. Read our disclosure policy for more info. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Many people believed that Lombardo had opened her eyes a fraction of an inch in a composite of many time-lapse photographs. 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. Watch on Mario Lombardo was overcome by grief when his only child died of pneumonia. 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. Further studies however, including time-lapse photos by National Geographic, show that Rosalia does in fact blink several times an hour! 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