What is certain, however, is that Rosalia's parents traveled a lot in the years following her death, for work reasons. Shes located in the Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo, Sicily with over 8,000 other mummies. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0.You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. Top Image: Rosalia Lombardo. The two are more and more in love, they lead a comfortable and peaceful life and their little girl grows up beautiful, healthy and strong. Their families would continue to fund the monks who cared for the deceased for example with new clothes. There he found Salafias surviving records. Her father Mario Lombardo, who was an local official, engaged noted embalmer, Alfredo Salafia to mummify her body. But why did the body of little Rosalia Lombardo remain in the Capuchin Catacombs for so long? X-rays of the body show that all the organs are remarkably intact. Zinc salts to keep a state of preservation It was founded in 734 BC by the Phoenician Empire who we have spoken about many times onSTSTW Mediaas one of the defining civilisations of our time. We can only imagine the agony of the parents of little Rosalia. For years the mix of chemicals that Alfredo Salaria used on Rosalia remained unknown, as well as the technique used. Why is there an Elephant Buried Beneath the Vatican. In fact, it seems that Alfredo Salaria did not undertake any university career. In the 1970s, the notes describing Rosalias mummification were found. Create Biography . After the embalming, Rosalia was then transported to the Catacombs of the Capuchins, which was made possible by the mayor of the city, Giuseppe Lanza di Scalea, who in fact gave his permission. Glycerin keeping the body from becoming too dry Alfredo Salaria used glycerin, formalin, zinc salts, alcohol and salicylic acid on the body of little Rosalia. Rosalia Lombardo (December 13, 1918 in Palermo, Italy - December 6, 1920), was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. There are those who believe that it is really her, little Rosalia, who blinks forever, almost a way to communicate with the world of the living. These cookies do not store any personal information. 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). How did you succeed in this feat? 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. 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. While Rosalia was mostly kept intact during embalming, her blood was drained and replaced by the magical formula used by Alfredo. 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. Mario Lombardo refused to bury her daughter, claiming that losing his son had left him distraught. Maria Cara Lombardo e Mario Lombardo, i genitori della piccola Rosalia (per gentile concessione della . Palermo is a city with amazing architecture which much of its designs remaining from the Norman and Arab invasions. Her name is Rosalia Lombardo who died on November 6th, 1920 with only two summers to her name and remains the youngest on show. Full text data coming soon. 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. The mystery was soon solved when he observed that a filtration of light from the windows was catching her eye-lens to cause the illusion of life. Her father, Mario Lombardo wanted to know the exact cause of her death in order to "blame" someone. A strange phenomenon that scared all tourists visiting the catacombs was that the mummy was blinking. 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. Maybe he finished middle school, nothing more. These blue eyes, like the rest of her body, are remarkably intact. Salafia recorded the chemicals he injected into Rosalias body: formalin, zinc salts, alcohol, salicylic acid, and glycerin., Formalin (formaldehyde and water) eliminates bacteria The techniques used by Alfredo Salafia have marveled many. 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. Rosalia Lombardo. Generated by Wordfence at Thu, 2 Mar 2023 1:21:04 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString());. Since 1920, her body has been lying in a glass-covered coffin, her head poking above a fading silk blanket. Curiosities about the body of Rosalia, who seems to be blinking. Rosalia Lombardos mummified body appeared to be the most alive mummy in the world. Others passed this phenomenon off as changes of the light. One resident was not famous in her short life but became infamous in death. All rights reserved. It seems that it was a common practice to insert a bottle in the coffin containing the reagent capable of preventing the formation of mold and ensuring that the body was preserved longer. 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. For after all, the dead have no need for grand decorations in this realm they leave behind. Thats hard to say. [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. 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. Salicylic acid to stop the growth of fungi : 02075400842, 2023 by Albaincoming Eurofirst Tours. In regards to the prized and most adored attraction Roaslia -a glass case has been added with Nitrogen gas to further stop the process of decay after signs of decomposition began to show in 2009. People were curious to know what was causing the dead body to blink. Biblio data only below the dashed line. Rosalia Lombardos story reached Professor Salafia, as he never charged his father for his services. Rosalia Lombardo, was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. 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. Rosalia Lombardos angel face pushed him to improve the preservation technique in order to preserve its natural beauty. Rosalia's father, Official Mario Lombardo, was sorely grieved upon her death, so he approached Alfredo Salafia, a noted embalmer, to preserve her. The embalmers relatives gave him several of Alfredo Salafias documents. Required fields are marked *. Available at: https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2014/06/mystery-of-blinking-child-mummy-solved.html. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. 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. Rosalia Lombardo, a two-year-old girl, died in 1920 from an intensified case of bronchopneumonia, a kind of pneumonia that involves inflammation in the alveoli. [6] The mummy remains one of the best preserved bodies in the catacombs. 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. Looking closer, you can notice that her eyelids are not completely closed, which was most likely done with Alfredo Salafias goal of making her more alive. Her father Mario Lombardo was understandably so beset with heartache that he sought out a renowned local embalmer by the name of Alfredo Salafia. They moved to other Italian cities and then also abroad, thus without having the opportunity to choose a cemetery where to bury their child. (Sibeaster / Wikimedia Commons). [2] [9] In response to speculation about her moving eyelids, Piombino-Mascali stated that "It's an optical illusion produced by the light that filters through the side windows, which during the day is subject to change [her eyes] are not completely closed, and indeed they have never been". 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. He then handed it over to the researchers who discovered the formula right there to guarantee a body the eternal sleep it deserves. Thanks to these tricks it will be possible to keep this body intact for a long, long time. Daughter of Mario Lombardo and Maria Di Cara A corridor of mummies inside the catacombs. Her premature death at age two left her father grief-stricken. The corpse was preserved nearly perfectly due to the dry atmosphere inside the Catacomb. Who is wrong? (In Pics) Ten Extinct Animals which Survive only in Drawings. He studied and experimented, yes, but in total autonomy. Rosalia was an Italian child who died in 1918 in Palermo. Her young age allowed Salafia to follow a simple mummification process that kept her angel face untouched and undeteriorated for over 100 years. 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. The story of love, loss, beauty and tragedy have captured thousands of people through multiple generations. 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. Rosalia died due to pneumonia in a region which becomes extremely cold in the winter months. Rosalias preserved body came out looking like the most alive mummy in the world. This, along with the light that filters in various ways through the tombs windows throughout the day, causes the girls eyes to seem open. Notes documenting Rosalias mummification were discovered in the 1970s. 2022 History of Yesterday | All Rights Reserved. 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. The results were staggering, showing that she was indeed truly a mummy and that even her organs were still in functional condition. Glycerin prevented her body from desiccating or drying out. Rosalia died barely one week before her second birthday. The skin of Rosalia still appears very smooth, as if it is made of porcelain. The story of Rosalia Lombardo got to Profesor Salafia, therefore he never charged the father for his services. Perhaps the period close to the feast of the dead is precisely the most suitable! Her name is Rosalia Lombardo, and she died of pneumonia caused by the Spanish Flu just one week shy of her second birthday in 1920. The Lombardo family was . The eyes are half closed, so that the face can appear even more relaxed and sweet, an intense serenity. The zinc sulfate was used to petrify the body. Rosalia died of pneumonia on December 6, 1920. However, once down the stairs the scene begins to change to a more basic overlay. Rosalia's father, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. It is thanks to all of this that little Rosalia's body has reached us intact. Recently, the mummification techniques used by Salafia were discovered in a handwritten memoir of Salafias. 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