Capuchin Catacombs

31 Days of Halloween Day #31 (We did it!!)

Blessings on Samhain

Oíche Shamhna Shona Daoibh/Oíche na gCailleach (which roughly translates to Happy Halloween, Witches Night) also happens to be a few hours from the day to bless and remember those we have lost no matter your background for All Souls Day. So this seemed kinda of appropriate.

The Paris Catacombs might be the most famous in the world.

Little can compete with them for sheer macabre glamor.

Created by the Romans as limestone quarries to build the city above, their current use dates from the late 18th century, when overcrowded cemeteries around the city sparked public health concerns.

Actually, there are lots of infamous catacombs, like the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa (Egypt) Rabat (Malta), St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, Brno Ossuary of course, and I am sure I am forgetting a few cool ones.

Today I'm talking about the Capuchin catacombs in Palermo, Sicily.

Built In the 16th century the local church began outgrowing its own cemetery and the monks got the idea of actually embalming their dead brethren and putting them on show in the Capuchin catacombs instead.

At first only friars got this special treatment, but the practice caught on and local notables began asking for the honor in their wills. Roughly 12,000 people have since been embalmed and arranged for display according to demographic—the categories include Men, Women, Virgins, Children, Priests, Monks, and Professionals.

In most of Western cultures, the long-dead are generally kept out of sight, hidden from the living. Here, it is the exception. Nothing stands between the living and dead, except maybe a rope with a sign asking visitors to be respectful.

However, there is in fact something unique at this resting space.

Recorded in time-lapse photos and videos, the creepy phenomenon has been the subject of various speculations for some years. Burials didn't stop until the 1920s, and one of the most famous inhabitants is also among the last, the beautiful Rosalie Lombardo.

This week, Italian newspapers again reported that Rosalia Lombardo, a two-year-old girl who died of pneumonia in 1920, moved her eyelids several times during the day, slightly opening them to reveal intact blue eyes.

Now the story of how she became the most well-preserved mummified body, is just as interesting, she was basically taxidermy instead of the usual embalming. What draws me in macabre fascination is the images and 360 views we as people sitting at home can physically see into. I will warn you some images can be mildly disturbing, but really for the love of archaeology, history, and for the love of all things skeleton, it was worth a look