Rosalia's face has very sweet features, with the plump cheeks of a two-year-old girl, delicately framed by fair hair. Further studies however, including time-lapse photos by National Geographic, show that Rosalia does in fact blink several times an hour! He made a small puncture and injected a mixture of zinc salts, formalin, glycerin, and salicylic acid. This mystery of blinking eyes, and the well-preserved body is what makes Rosalias mummy so fascinating. Indeed, she is nicknamed the sleeping beauty. On the historical island of Sicily sits the Sicilian capital of Palermo, resting on the toe of Italys boot-based geographical shape. 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. Her body was one of the last corpses to be admitted to the Capuchin catacombs of Palermo in Sicily. Ninety years ago, on December 6, 1920 Rosalia, daughter of Official Mario Lombardo, died of pneumonia at the age of two. The researchers wanted to see what state his body was in. Powered by WordPress and Mystique theme by digitalnature | RSS Feeds, Working at the Crossroads of Life and Death, When the Public Viewing of a Mutilated Body is a Statement: The Funeral of Emmett Till. A corridor of mummies inside the catacombs. Alfredo Salafia was considered the best as he had a lot of experience preserving corpses. 2009-2021 Historic Mysteries. Upcoming historian with over 30 million views online. 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. The story of Rosalia Lombardo got to Profesor Salafia, therefore he never charged the father for his services. They are arranged in sections such as religious figures, professions, women, virgins and children. Where is the Body of the Legendary King Gorm of Denmark? Geni requires JavaScript! The notes are yet another formula for several chemicals used in mummification: Rosalia Lombardo is also known as the Capuchin Catacombs Sleeping Beauty. Her mummified remains has been kept at Palermos Catacombe dei Cappuccini, a location packed with mummified bodies and other peoples corpses from throughout history. Rosalia's father, Mario Lombardo, was distraught by her death and asked embalmer Alfredo Salafia to preserve her remains. The salts preserved her appearance perfectly, even preventing her nasal cavities and her cheeks from caving in. In 1920, a little girl known as Rosalia Lombardo died at the age of two due to an aggravated case of pneumonia. 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. 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. Historic Mysteries provides captivating articles on archaeology, history, and unexplained mysteries. Recently, the mummification techniques used by Salafia were discovered in a handwritten memoir of Salafias. In 2009, an MRI scan of the little girl was performed, to see the state of preservation of the interior of the body. Rosalia's dad, Official Mario Lombardo, was sorely grieved after her death, so he approached Alfredo Salafia, a noted embalmer, to preserve her. Who is right? He approached a popular embalmer, Alfredo Salafia and asked to have her preserved for eternity. It was still a mystery until the curator of Capuchin catacombs, Dario Piombino-Mascali, proved a new theory. Much of their rules involved living in as much austerity that was practical. The changing direction of the light through the day makes Rosalias eyes seem to open and close many times. Rosalia is surrounded by many other bodies, over 8000, who sleep their eternal sleep in the Catacombs of the Capuchins. Her grieving father couldn't settle . COPYRIGHT UNSOLVED MYSTERIES & PARANORMAL ACTIVITIES, 2017-2018. The catacombs are open nearly everyday and the entry fee is only 3 euros. Rosalia died due to pneumonia in a region which becomes extremely cold in the winter months. There are those who claim that it is a mere optical illusion, caused by how the light falls on those half-closed eyelids. But, this supposed sister is strangely quiet and difficult to learn about. Her father, Mario Lombardo wanted to know the exact cause of her death in order to blame someone. The empty body is then filled with natron salts, which desiccate it. Most of the people that go to visit her mummified body believe that she is a miracle since she keeps blinking even though she has been dead for a long time. Rosalia Lombardo. 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. Rosalia died due to pneumonia in a region which becomes extremely cold in the winter months. ", "Why Does This Child Mummy Appear to Open And Close Her Eyes? Your access to this service has been limited. Mario and Maria are not married at the time of Rosalia's birth, but they are very much in love. Rosalia's father, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. Her mummified body was preserved in theCatacombe dei Cappuccini(The Capuchin Catacombs)in Palermo, a place filled with mummified bodies and corpses of other people throughout history. Her father, Mario Lombardo, was so grief stricken that he asked an embalmer to preserve Rosalia's remains. Rosalias body is now preserved in a new glass coffin, which is designed to block the growth of fungi or bacteria. In the 1970s, the notes describing Rosalias mummification were found. What is even more interesting is that upon an X-ray of the mummified corpse, it seems that Rosalinas organs have been perfectly conserved. 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. What happened to little Rosalia's body after she died. (The oldest is a friar from 1599 called Silvestro da Gubbio). 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. The older we get, the more constant they appear. Some believed that some supernatural force was at work, and that the mummy actually blinked. X-rays of the body reveal that all of the organs are extremely healthy. Her young age allowed Salafia to follow a simple mummification process that kept her angel face untouched and undeteriorated for over 100 years. The eyes slightly open and reveal the intact blue irises. According to him, everything people are seeing is actually an optical illusion. Compared to when the body was placed in the Catacombs of the Capuchins, it seems that the skin of the child's face has become darker and that the hair has instead lightened, from brown to blond. Generated by Wordfence at Thu, 2 Mar 2023 1:21:04 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString());. These cookies do not store any personal information. Rosalia Lombardo: The mystery of the Blinking Mummy, Present condition of Rosalia Lombardos mummy: The preserved corpse was relocated. Rosalia Lombardo (13 December 1918 - 6 December 1920) was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. Alba incoming - Eurofirst Tours 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. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 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. La Pascualita: An Extremely Well-Preserved Corpse, or an Eerily Life-like Mannequin? A tuft of hair is also held in place by a yellow bow. The body was beautifully preserved thanks to Salafias embalming procedures. Husband of Assunta Mananizza Father of Eugenia Lombardo and Rosalinda Lombardo. 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. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. 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. What is certain, however, is that Rosalia's parents traveled a lot in the years following her death, for work reasons. Palermo is a city with amazing architecture which much of its designs remaining from the Norman and Arab invasions. Her story to this day is passed on by the monks who still work in the catacombs. Her body is kept in a small chapel placed on a wooden pedestal. Rosalia died barely one week before her second birthday. (The oldest is a friar from 1599 called Silvestro da Gubbio). 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. Notes documenting Rosalias mummification were discovered in the 1970s. Avid Writer with invaluable knowledge of Humanity! Rosalia Lombardo (13 December 1918 - 6 December 1920) was an Italian child who died of pneumonia, resulting from the Spanish flu, one week shy of her second birthday. Rosalia Lombardos one hundred year old body may be the most beautifully embalmed body in the world. Interesting history topics are just a click away. It should be remembered that in 1925, five years after Rosalia's death, the Lombard couple had another baby girl, who was called with the same name as their little sister, in her eternal memory. The story of Rosalia is speculated, but unknown. , thanks to the possibility that he was granted access to the anatomical school of Professor Randaccio. Many of the bodies who hang on the walls were protected in cages because some tourists had a kleptomaniacal penchant for taking bones as souvenirs. Rosalia Lombardo's father, official Mario Lombardo, was severely upset by the death of his loved daughter and contacted a famous Sicilian embalmer, Alfredo Salafia, to preserve the body of Rosalia. Rosalia Lombardo: The Mummy That Blinks. Mario Lombardo, her father, wanted to uncover the specific cause of her death so he could "blame" someone. Rosalia's father, Official Mario Lomba. 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. 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. 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. Mario Lombardo refused to bury her daughter, claiming that losing his son had left him distraught. But the magical element was the zinc salts which gave Rosalias body rigidity. Rosalia Lombardo, was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. And the body of Alfredo Salaria? Thanks to these tricks it will be possible to keep this body intact for a long, long time. The mummy is still one of the tombs finest preserved corpses. (Sibeaster / Wikimedia Commons). 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. 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. When reports of Rosalia Lombardos eyes opening shocked the local community an Anthropologist called Dario Piombino-Mascali investigated the catacombs. Salafia recorded the chemicals he injected into Rosalias body: formalin, zinc salts, alcohol, salicylic acid, and glycerin., Formalin (formaldehyde and water) eliminates bacteria 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. all right reserved COOKIES & PRIVACY POLICY, 2023 by Albaincoming Eurofirst Tours. The body of little Rosalia has closed eyelids as if she were sleeping. STSTW Media strives to deliver accurate information through careful research. Rosalia was an Italian child who died in 1918 in Palermo. Not only that, he also added paraffin, duly dissolved in ether. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The body was so amazingly preserved that Rosalias body is intact over 100 years later. Rosalia's father, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. Their families would continue to fund the monks who cared for the deceased for example with new clothes. The owner of this site is using Wordfence to manage access to their site. Rosalias gaze is something that has attracted onlookers to Palermo for a hundred years. Thanks to Salafia's embalming . Available at: https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2014/06/mystery-of-blinking-child-mummy-solved.html. The daughter was always sick. 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). Bronchopneumonia, diphtheria, typhus, over the years these have been the most widespread theories on the death of little Rosalia. Rosalia meant the world to her family, especially her father who sought to preserve her eternally. Husband of Maria Di Cara In the 100 years since her death in 1920, Rosalia has become interwoven with Sicilian lore. Maria di Cara, his partner, has in fact just given birth to their first daughter, Rosalia. Nobody can answer these questions, a mystery that after all it is perhaps good that it remains so. Via Panepinto 8 I-92022 Cammarata (Ag) Italy This, combined with the light which is filtrated in different ways during the day through the windows of the catacombs makes the girls eyes look like they are open.A team of researchers performing X-ray on Rosalias body (Source:National Geographic)This X-ray clearly shows Rosalias arms and feet (Source:National Geographic)The X-ray of Rosalia showed her brain and liver intact. Thats hard to say. After washing with vinegar, they were filled with straw and then dressed. 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. Its thought that changes in temperature inside the crypt cause her eyelids to contract to produce the blinking effect. Rosalia Lombardos angel face pushed him to improve the preservation technique in order to preserve its natural beauty. If you find the above article inaccurate or biased, please let us know at[emailprotected]. It is so amazingly well-maintained that even X-rays show the internal organs to be intact. Log In Once logged in, you can add biography in the database. Years since her death in order to preserve rosalia & # x27 ; s father, Lombardo. For over 100 years how the light falls on those half-closed eyelids the Capuchin catacombs, Piombino-Mascali! 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