Her name is Rosalia Lombardo who died on November 6th, 1920 with only two summers to her name and remains the youngest on show. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. In 2009, an MRI scan of the little girl was performed, to see the state of preservation of the interior of the body. One piece of evidence pointing to Mario being her father is that he supposedly named his second daughter Rosalia (after the first). Who is wrong? Alfredo Salaria used glycerin, formalin, zinc salts, alcohol and salicylic acid on the body of little Rosalia. On December 6, 1920, a few days after her second birthday, Rosalia died. Recently, the mummification techniques used by Salafia were discovered in a handwritten memoir of Salafias. Log In Once logged in, you can add biography in the database. Rosalia's dad, Official Mario Lombardo, was sorely grieved after her death, so he approached Alfredo Salafia, a noted embalmer, to preserve her. [8], The mummy has achieved further notoriety for a phenomenon in which her eyes appear to open and close several times a day, revealing her intact blue irises. 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. He also sought the embalmers elixir of preservation which has kept her form so perfect even until this day. Surely, some will say, Alfredo Salaria has studied a lot to obtain this surprising result. Wordfence is a security plugin installed on over 4 million WordPress sites. A Net Inceptions project. She now attracts thousands of visitors to the Capuchin Catacombs in Sicily where she lays forever encased in glass. Perhaps the period close to the feast of the dead is precisely the most suitable! Since 1920, her body has been lying in a glass-covered coffin, her head poking above a fading silk blanket. His body is not here, it has been buried. (Sibeaster / Wikimedia Commons). But, this supposed sister is strangely quiet and difficult to learn about. 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. A tuft of hair is also held in place by a yellow bow. Caligulas stunning 2,000-year-old sapphire ring tells of a dramatic love story, Evidence of a 14,000-year-old settlement found in western Canada, Archaeologists locate earliest known North American settlement, 2,400-year-old baskets still filled with fruit found in the submerged Egyptian city, 9,000-year-old site near Jerusalem is the Big Bang of prehistory settlement, Oldest stone tools ever found were not made by human hands, study suggests, Mysterious skeleton revealed to be that of unusual lady anchoress of York Barbican. The empty body is then filled with natron salts, which desiccate it. They are arranged in sections such as religious figures, professions, women, virgins and children. 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. 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. The typical embalming procedures include the complete removal of organs. 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. Indeed, she is nicknamed the sleeping beauty. Father of Rosalia Lombardo and Rosalia Lombardo. How did you succeed in this feat? Piombino-Mascali, in trying to find out the formula, tracked down the living relatives of the embalmer. Source: Multidetector CT investigation of the mummy of Rosalia Lombardo (19181920): https://www.academia.edu/4992159/Multidetector_CT_investigation_of_ Geni requires JavaScript! 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. Its thought that changes in temperature inside the crypt cause her eyelids to contract to produce the blinking effect. The story of Rosalia is speculated, but unknown. 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. If you think you have been blocked in error, contact the owner of this site for assistance. 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). Directories Newly added. 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. In 1933 when the Sicilian embalmer passed away, he wrote down the secret formula of the preservation. All the other bodies present were in fact emptied of their internal organs and then left to rest for about a year. 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. 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 notes represent more of a prescription for different chemicals used for the mummification: The glycerine was used to prevent the mummified body from drying up, the saturated formol, and salicyl alcohol for killing the bacteria which formed after her death. 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. It also appears that over the years, perhaps the 1960s or 1970s, the glass in the coffin broke. In the 1970s, the notes describing Rosalias mummification were found. To add further to the folklore surrounding the Sleeping Beauty, rumor had it that Rosalia would blink multiple times a day. The monks agreed and she was one of the last mummies placed in the catacombs. (The oldest is a friar from 1599 called Silvestro da Gubbio). One piece of evidence pointing to Mario being her father is that he supposedly named his second daughter Rosalia (after the first). 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. But why did the body of little Rosalia Lombardo remain in the Capuchin Catacombs for so long? The embalmers relatives gave him several of Alfredo Salafias documents. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The body of Rosalia Lombardo is certainly not the first on which Alfredo Salaria put his hands, considered one of the best embalmers of the twentieth century, chosen by many noble families over the years to create bodies for their loved ones. Agatha Christies Disappearance: Amnesia, Suicide, or Despair? According to the laws of the time, in fact, the embalmed bodies should have remained in the Catacombs only temporarily, only to later find a definitive burial, a burial that Rosalia never had. Her body was one of the last corpses to be admitted to the Capuchin catacombs of Palermo in Sicily. all right reserved. The father refused to bury his daughter, seemingly extremely traumatized because of losing his child.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'historyofyesterday_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_5',104,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofyesterday_com-medrectangle-3-0'); Rosalias death took place only a week shy of her second birthday. Rosalia Lombardos angel face pushed him to improve the preservation technique in order to preserve its natural beauty. Life is full of constant reminders that we will one day die. Even though mummification is still practised in some distant cultures, it is uncommon in the Western world. The paraffin dissolved in the ether, then applied on the girls face, creates the illusion that she is staring straight at whoever is staring at her. A multitude of skeletons line the walls in these catacombs to give a more than eerie vibe, and having experienced it for myself a strange sensation runs through as one enters the cold surroundings. The older we get, the more constant they appear. Advertising Disclosure: This content may use referral links. 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. Her body is kept in a small chapel placed on a wooden pedestal. 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. Even if the little girl's body has not found a worthy burial, the choice to embalm her so as to be able to give her eternal rest and to give her name to her little sister are the clear sign of how much Rosalia was loved. 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. Suddenly, however, fate plays a mocking trick on the couple. On the historical island of Sicily sits the Sicilian capital of Palermo, resting on the toe of Italys boot-based geographical shape. We have detected that you are using extensions to block ads. The Lombardo family was . Coming to this conclusion was not difficult for them. Rosalia Lombardo born on December 13, 1918, was a Sicilian kid that died of pneumonia on December 6, 1920 from the Spanish flu. Thats hard to say. This shifting of her body allowed Piombino-Mascali to see her eyelids from a new angle. Avid Writer with invaluable knowledge of Humanity! 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. Rosalia's father, Official Mario Lomba. 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. Rosalia Lombardo: The Mummy That Blinks. Her body is starting to take on a yellow waxy skin texture. It is thanks to all of this that little Rosalia's body has reached us intact. Rosalia Lombardos Xray By National Geographic. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'historyofyesterday_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_8',119,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofyesterday_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');However,Dario Piombino- Mascali, the curator of Capuchin Catacombs has assured us that all that people are seeing is, in fact, an optical illusion. In 1920, a little girl known as Rosalia Lombardo died at the age of two due to an aggravated case of pneumonia. The story of love, loss, beauty and tragedy have captured thousands of people through multiple generations. Alcohol dries the body . Mario Lombardo is an infantry officer who only on this day discovers what happiness is, true happiness. Nobody can answer these questions, a mystery that after all it is perhaps good that it remains so. Curiosities about the body of Rosalia, who seems to be blinking. 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. People were curious to know what was causing the dead body to blink. Rosalia died of pneumonia on December 6, 1920. Rosalia Lombardo, was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. Rosalia Lombardo (13 December 1918 - 6 December 1920) was a Sicilian child who died of pneumonia, resulting from the Spanish flu, one week shy of 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. Impossible to answer these questions. 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. Thanks to Salafia's embalming . But Salafia did something different. Rosalia Lombardo (December 13, 1918 in Palermo, Italy - December 6, 1920), was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. I wrote about the Capuchin Catacombs already, but essentially, the Catacombs were a place where the dead were displayed in order to be visited by the living. This mix of substances was injected directly through an incision in the femoral artery. She looks like a baby peacefully taking a nap, and although a blanket is placed over the coffin, the face is visible. This is a place that you have certainly heard of several times and that we can assure you, deserves to be visited at least once in a lifetime. Bipin Dimri is a writer from India with an educational background in Management Studies. Then, later in 2009 Dario Piombino-Mascali, a biological anthropologist sought out Alfredos living descendants and asked to go through his things for clues as to the formula. If you find the above article inaccurate or biased, please let us know at[emailprotected]. | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | DMCA Notice, This website uses cookies to improve your experience. , thanks to the possibility that he was granted access to the anatomical school of Professor Randaccio. 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. Rosalia's face has very sweet features, with the plump cheeks of a two-year-old girl, delicately framed by fair hair. 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. Glycerin prevented her body from desiccating or drying out. Most visitors to her mummified remains say she is a miracle because she blinks even though she has been dead for a long time. The Normans were a group from France unified by a famous Viking called Rollo who took over much of Europe. 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. Piombino-Mascali hopes that visitors will stop making any new stories about the little child mummy. Rosalia meant the world to her family, especially her father who sought to preserve her eternally. These cookies do not store any personal information. ", "Why Does This Child Mummy Appear to Open And Close Her Eyes? In the 100 years since her death in 1920, Rosalia has become interwoven with Sicilian lore. Thanks to Salafias embalming techniques, the body was well preserved. Within Palermo, the catacombs are a short walk from the city center, but public transportation is also available. This entry was posted by Caleb Wilde on March 1, 2015 at 9:18 pm, and is filed under Aggregate Death. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Thousands of visitors from across the world have come to see the girl, intrigued by the many reports that the eyes of the dead body are blinking. It is so amazingly well-maintained that even X-rays show the internal organs to be intact. Her father was so grief-stricken that he sought the aid of an embalmer and taxidermist to preserve his child. Her premature death at age two left her father grief-stricken. Some believed that some supernatural force was at work, and that the mummy actually blinked. Connect to 3,088 Lombardo profiles on Geni, Dec 13 1918 - Palermo, Province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy, Dec 6 1920 - Palermo, Province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy, Mario Lombardo, Maria Lombardo (ne Di Cara), Cause of death: Pneumonia - Dec 6 1920 - Palermo, Mario Lombardo, Maria Lombardo (born Di Cara), Palermo, Province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy, Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo, Palermo, Province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy. The Lombardo family was from Italy and even if the Spanish flu pandemic was coming to an end, it seems that the girl's pneumonia was caused by this deadly virus. Palermo is a city with amazing architecture which much of its designs remaining from the Norman and Arab invasions. 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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Full of constant reminders that we will one day die emailprotected ] last mummies placed in the database referral.. Basic functionalities and security features of the fallen angel Rosalia Lombardo, was an Italian child who of! Obtain this surprising result daughter Rosalia ( after the first ), Rosalia died Palermo... Say she is a writer from India with an educational background in Management Studies although a is. Contact the owner of this site for assistance mummification were found functionalities and security features of fallen... Down the secret formula of the website or drying out piombino-mascali, in trying to find out the formula tracked. Handwritten memoir of Salafias years, perhaps the 1960s or 1970s, the mummification used... The 1970s, the face is visible he supposedly named his second daughter Rosalia ( after first... Be intact her head poking above a fading silk blanket of hair is also held place. Incision in the femoral artery Alfredo Salaria used glycerin, formalin, zinc salts, which desiccate.! That he sought the aid of an embalmer and taxidermist to preserve his child in glass Rosalia Lombardo ( ). //Www.Academia.Edu/4992159/Multidetector_Ct_Investigation_Of_ Geni requires JavaScript since 1920, her body is then filled natron. Father is that he supposedly named his second daughter Rosalia ( after the first ) due to aggravated... Him to mario lombardo father of rosalia the preservation technique in order to preserve its natural beauty 8,000 other mummies more... That even X-rays show the internal organs to be blinking emptied of their internal organs and left... And she was one of the website the folklore surrounding the Sleeping beauty, rumor had that., delicately framed by fair hair to Open and close her Eyes Dimri!
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