COPYRIGHT UNSOLVED MYSTERIES & PARANORMAL ACTIVITIES, 2017-2018. Rosalia's body was one of the last to be admitted to the Capuchin catacombs of Palermo in Sicily. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Piombino-Mascali, in trying to find out the formula, tracked down the living relatives of the embalmer. (The oldest is a friar from 1599 called Silvestro da Gubbio). Her father, Mario Lombardo wanted to know the exact cause of her death in order to "blame" someone. Impossible to answer these questions. There are those who say that a slight opening and closing of the eyelids actually occurs due to the humidity present and how it changes over the course of the day. Rosalia was born on December 13, 1918 and died on December 6, 1920 of pneumonia. 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. The Lombardo family was Italian and although the Spanish flu pandemic was ending, it seemed that Rosalia's pneumonia may have been caused by this deadly disease. Who is right? Rosalia died due to pneumonia in a region which becomes extremely cold in the winter months. Some believed that some supernatural force was at work, and that the mummy actually blinked. The Normans were a group from France unified by a famous Viking called Rollo who took over much of Europe. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0.You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. Rosalia's father, Official Mario Lomba. Further studies however, including time-lapse photos by National Geographic, show that Rosalia does in fact blink several times an hour! The researchers wanted to see what state his body was in. 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">. A century has passed, but her corpse still looks like the little girl is just dozing under the glass case of the casket. A Net Inceptions project. [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. Rosalia Lombardo (December 13, 1918 in Palermo, Italy - December 6, 1920), was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. 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. Rosalia's father, Official Mario Lombardo, was sorely grieved upon her death, so he approached Alfredo Salafia, a noted embalmer, to preserve her. 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. It is possible that contact with the air before its replacement may have resulted in damage. 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. Rosalia Lombardo born on December 13, 1918, was a Sicilian kid that died of pneumonia on December 6, 1920 from the Spanish flu. [6] The mummy remains one of the best preserved bodies in the catacombs. Rosalia Lombardos mummified body appeared to be the most alive mummy in the world. Rosalia's father, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. Amazingly, 8000 skeletons (although a more accurate number is said to be closer to 2,000) and around 1250 mummies inhabit the catacombs. Notes documenting Rosalias mummification were discovered in the 1970s. Rosalia's dad, Official Mario Lombardo, was sorely grieved after her death, so he approached Alfredo Salafia, a noted embalmer, to preserve her. X-rays of the body show that all the organs are remarkably intact. (The oldest is a friar from 1599 called Silvestro da Gubbio). Rosalia has indeed sparked much fascination in the world of science and commoners alike. On the historical island of Sicily sits the Sicilian capital of Palermo, resting on the toe of Italys boot-based geographical shape. Mario Lombardo, Rosalia's father, was determined to find out the exact cause of her death in order to assign blame. Required fields are marked *. Losing a child is always a tragedy, and if it is a child of just a few years of life, the tragedy is undoubtedly even greater and more difficult to bear. For years the mix of chemicals that Alfredo Salaria used on Rosalia remained unknown, as well as the technique used. Maria di Cara, his partner, has in fact just given birth to their first daughter, Rosalia. It also appears that over the years, perhaps the 1960s or 1970s, the glass in the coffin broke. X-rays of the body show that all the organs are remarkably intact. The Italian biological anthropologist was able to debunk the myths about Rosalia Lombardo. It was still a mystery until the curator of Capuchin catacombs, Dario Piombino-Mascali, proved a new theory. [3] Sometimes called "Sleeping Beauty", hers was one of the last corpses to be admitted to the Capuchin catacombs of Palermo in Sicily. Geni requires JavaScript! The Lombardo family was Italian, and despite the fact that the Spanish flu pandemic was coming to an end, the girl's pneumonia appeared to have been caused by this lethal illness. Her father Mario Lombardo was understandably so beset with heartache that he sought out a renowned local embalmer by the name of Alfredo Salafia. 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 preserved body of Rosalia Lombardo, as photographed by National Geographic in 2009, has started to show indications of decomposition most notably discoloration. Indeed, it is quite difficult to gaze at the little body lying in the glass coffin and still not believe that the girl will awaken at any moment. What is even more interesting is that upon an X-ray of the mummified corpse, it seems that Rosalinas organs have been perfectly conserved. Husband of Maria Di Cara 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. The owner of this site is using Wordfence to manage access to their site. Also, check out Children of Llullaillaco: Where Young Children Were Sacrificed to the Gods. Not only was the eye blinking mystery solved by Piombino-Mascali, but he also managed to track down the embalming formula Alfredo Salafia used to preserve the body of Rosalia in such impeccable condition. The Lombardo family was Italian, and despite the fact that the Spanish flu pandemic was coming to an end, the girl's pneumonia appeared to have been caused by this lethal illness. The techniques used by Alfredo Salafia have marveled many. We have detected that you are using extensions to block ads. Rosalia died of pneumonia on December 6, 1920. all right reserved COOKIES & PRIVACY POLICY, 2023 by Albaincoming Eurofirst Tours. 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. 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. 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. Available at: https://www.amusingplanet.com/2017/01/rosalia-lombardo-mummy-that-blinks.html, Mystery of The Blinking Child Mummy Solved. 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. Rosalia Lombardo (Born December 13, 1918 and Died December 6, 1920) was a Palmerian toddler who died one week before her second birthday from pneumonia caused by the Spanish flu. The name of that girl is Rosalia Lombardo, who tragically died due to pneumonia in 1920, at the age of two. Alfredo Salaria used glycerin, formalin, zinc salts, alcohol and salicylic acid on the body of little Rosalia. However, things can go wrong. ", "This Mummified Two-Year-Old Appears to Blink Every Day", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rosalia_Lombardo&oldid=1135738502, Sleeping Beauty of the Capuchin Catacombs, Being in an especially well preserved state in her tomb, in the, This page was last edited on 26 January 2023, at 15:26. Rosalia was an Italian child who died in 1918 in Palermo. 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. In fact, a few years ago it was realized that the girl's face was going to meet a normal decay. 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. Home. Her body was one of the last corpses to be admitted to the Capuchin catacombs of Palermo in Sicily. 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.. If you want to visit Rosalia, youre not alone. 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. Surely, some will say, Alfredo Salaria has studied a lot to obtain this surprising result. 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. 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. 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. Mario Lombardo, her father, wanted to uncover the specific cause of her death so he could blame someone. In the 1970s, the notes describing Rosalias mummification were found. 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. Maria di Cara, his partner, has in fact just given birth to their first daughter, Rosalia. Rosalia Lombardos story reached Professor Salafia, as he never charged his father for his services. Obviously it was expensive, for this reason these bodies almost all belong to people of high class. One of the properties that makes Rosalia such a beautiful mummy is the embalming process that was used to preserve her. So what is legend passed down for the romanticism of love and loss, and what is the truth? Full text data coming soon. ", "Why Does This Child Mummy Appear to Open And Close Her Eyes? In 1933 when the Sicilian embalmer passed away, he wrote down the secret formula of the preservation. Mario and Maria are not married at the time of Rosalia's birth, but they are very much in love. Shes located in the Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo, Sicily with over 8,000 other mummies. Genealogy for Mario Lombardo (1789 - 1864) family tree on Geni, with over 240 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. They are arranged in sections such as religious figures, professions, women, virgins and children. Rosalia's father, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. Rosalia died barely one week before her second birthday. Legend has it that she was a sickly child who suffered illnesses and pain until she contracted a pneumonia at the age of 2 and died from her illness. 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. She lies in the coffin, glass-covered and on a wooden pedestal. Directories Newly added. The Lombardo family was . 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. Her father Mario Lombardo, who was an local official, engaged noted embalmer, Alfredo Salafia to mummify her body. 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 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 is surrounded by many other bodies, over 8000, who sleep their eternal sleep in the Catacombs of the Capuchins. 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. Create Biography . He studied and experimented, yes, but in total autonomy. Glycerin keeping the body from becoming too dry Most visitors to her mummified remains say she is a miracle because she blinks even though she has been dead for a long time. 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. However, once down the stairs the scene begins to change to a more basic overlay. Rosalia Lombardo. This entry was posted by Caleb Wilde on March 1, 2015 at 9:18 pm, and is filed under Aggregate Death. Thanks to these tricks it will be possible to keep this body intact for a long, long time. The formalin wiped out all the bacteria, and the salicylic acid helped in removing any fungi present in the flesh. There are those who claim that it is a mere optical illusion, caused by how the light falls on those half-closed eyelids. Genealogy profile for Mario Lombardo. People Projects . Some said this was her spirit returning to her body. A 2009 National Geographic photograph of Rosalia Lombardo shows the mummy is beginning to show signs of decomposition, most notably discoloration. In fact, it seems that Alfredo Salaria did not undertake any university career. These blue eyes, like the rest of her body, are remarkably intact. On December 6, 1920, a few days after her second birthday, Rosalia died. Alfredo Salafia was considered the best as he had a lot of experience preserving corpses. 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. The older we get, the more constant they appear. Nobody can answer these questions, a mystery that after all it is perhaps good that it remains so. Her story to this day is passed on by the monks who still work in the catacombs. 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 city steeped in religious history; it was also home to a Catholic sect called the Capuchins (An order of friars and one of the main offshoots of the Franciscan order created by famous religious devout Francis of Assisi). 2022 History of Yesterday | All Rights Reserved. Thanks to Salafia's embalming . Rosalia captures the hearts of thousands each year. Rosalia Lombardos angel face pushed him to improve the preservation technique in order to preserve its natural beauty. The changing direction of the light through the day makes Rosalias eyes seem to open and close many times. 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. 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