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. In fact, the body of little Rosalia has organs in a perfect state of preservation and you can see how one lung is denser than the other, a clear sign that the little girl actually fell ill with bronchopneumonia. Mario and Maria are not married at the time of Rosalia's birth, but they are very much in love. The story was a tragedy by all accounts: Mario Lombardo, now a grieving father, couldn't bear the thought of a life without ever being able to see the face of his beloved child, Rosalia, again. But even so, there are many who prefer to believe that her spirit really does return to her body! If you find the above article inaccurate or biased, please let us know at[emailprotected]. 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. Rosalia's dad, Official Mario Lombardo, was sorely grieved after her death, so he approached Alfredo Salafia, a noted embalmer, to preserve her. 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. 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. Her father, Mario Lombardo wanted to know the exact cause of her death in order to "blame" someone. Since 1920, her body has been lying in a glass-covered coffin, her head poking above a fading silk blanket. So what is legend passed down for the romanticism of love and loss, and what is the truth? Notes documenting Rosalias mummification were discovered in the 1970s. She lies in the coffin, glass-covered and on a wooden pedestal. There are those who claim that it is a mere optical illusion, caused by how the light falls on those half-closed eyelids. [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". [2] Rosalia's father, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. 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. She looks like a baby peacefully taking a nap, and although a blanket is placed over the coffin, the face is visible. Wordfence is a security plugin installed on over 4 million WordPress sites. 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. 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. The Normans were a group from France unified by a famous Viking called Rollo who took over much of Europe. In 1933 when the Sicilian embalmer passed away, he wrote down the secret formula of the preservation. The owner of this site is using Wordfence to manage access to their site. The corpse was preserved nearly perfectly due to the dry atmosphere inside the Catacomb. [1][8] Rossella Lorenzi of Discovery News reported that the formalin was used to kill bacteria, the glycerin used to prevent desiccation, and the salicylic acid used to eliminate any fungi within the flesh, with the purpose of the zinc salts being petrifaction. Rosalia was an Italian child who died in 1918 in Palermo. The embalming took place right there, in that house where the little girl lived her first two years of life, happy and surrounded by the love of her family. These questions arise spontaneously. Rosalia's father, Official Mario Lombardo, was sorely grieved upon her death, so he approached Alfredo Salafia, a noted embalmer, to preserve her. Her father, Mario Lombardo, was so grief stricken that he asked an embalmer to preserve Rosalia's remains. In short, Rosalia is a 98 year old mummy. 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. 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.. The researchers then created a new aluminum case for Rosalia Lombardo, saturated with nitrogen, and moved the girl's body to a less humid place. 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. But why did the body of little Rosalia Lombardo remain in the Capuchin Catacombs for so long? Is it better to believe in science or in the irrational? Her father was so grief-stricken that he sought the aid of an embalmer and taxidermist to preserve his child. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Thanks to the technological tools we have today, the researchers noticed the presence of an empty bottle under the little girl's head. 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. Rosalias father, Official Mario Lombardo, was sorely grieved upon her death, so he approached Alfredo Salafia, a noted embalmer, to preserve her. The body of little Rosalia has closed eyelids as if she were sleeping. Thank you for your cooperation.You can sign-up to the Membership any time to remove the adds and enjoy the content with no interruptions, Rosalia Lombardos perfectly preserved body, by Andrei Tapalaga | Sep 6, 2022 | Culture. Her mummified body, sometimes referred to as 'Sleeping Beauty', was one of the last corpses to be admitted to the Capuchin . 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. Rosalia Lombardo (13 December 1918 - 6 December 1920) was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. Rosalia Lombardos Xray By National Geographic. The empty body is then filled with natron salts, which desiccate it. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. all right reserved. The results were staggering, showing that she was indeed truly a mummy and that even her organs were still in functional condition. Rosalia Lombardo (December 13, 1918 - December 6, 1920), was an Italian child who passed away of pneumonia. The impact of a new culture of Nordic tradition on Sicily in the 11th-12th century led to a new architectural style: Palermos Arab-Norman architecture introduced innovative elements from the north of Europe, such astowers at the sides of faades, within Byzantine layouts, such as the greek-cross plan inscribed in a square, and structural or decorative details of Islamic origin, such as pointed arches. 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. I spend many hours researching her and you can read more about that here if you want. After which, they were bathed in vinegar and stuffed with hay. STSTW Media strives to deliver accurate information through careful research. In fact, a few years ago it was realized that the girl's face was going to meet a normal decay. Who is right? Her story to this day is passed on by the monks who still work in the catacombs. Heres some history and a video: Rosalia Lombardo (December 13, 1918 in Palermo, Italy December 6, 1920), was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. But the magical element was the zinc salts which gave Rosalias body rigidity. The blinking mummys mystery became famous across the world. Father of Rosalia Lombardo and Rosalia Lombardo. Salafia recorded the chemicals he injected into Rosalias body: formalin, zinc salts, alcohol, salicylic acid, and glycerin., Formalin (formaldehyde and water) eliminates bacteria Rosalia's father, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. La Pascualita: An Extremely Well-Preserved Corpse, or an Eerily Life-like Mannequin? 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. The typical embalming procedures include the complete removal of organs. A tuft of hair is also held in place by a yellow bow. 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. The problem at the time, was that no one knew how Rosalia had been preserved. Her premature death at age two left her father grief-stricken. Glycerin prevented her body from desiccating or drying out. Children of Llullaillaco: Where Young Children Were Sacrificed to the Gods, Church of the Dead: Home to the Peculiar Mummies of Provincial Italy. It is thanks to all of this that little Rosalia's body has reached us intact. How did you succeed in this feat? This process does not offer any kind of respect for the facial features, but despite this there were many people who sought such treatment. 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. In 2009, an MRI scan of the little girl was performed, to see the state of preservation of the interior of the body. 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. Connect to 3,088 Lombardo profiles on Geni, Antonino Lombardo, Lombardo (ne Lombardo (Ne Corrao)), Maria Italia Lombardo, Antonino Lombardo, Lombardo, Lombardo, Lombardo, Antonino Lombardo, Rosalia Lombardo (ne Corrao), pe Dit Armando Lombardo, Concetta Pancano (ne Lombardo), Maria Italia Aiello (ne Lombardo), Antonino Lombardo, Alfredo Dit Adolfo Lombardo, Palermo, Province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy. 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. Interesting history topics are just a click away. Salafia replaced the girls blood with a liquid made of formalin to kill bacteria, alcohol to dry the body, glycerin to keep her from overdrying, salicylic acid to kill fungi, and zinc salts to give her body rigidity. Rosalia died due to pneumonia in a region which becomes extremely cold in the winter months. People have witnessed that her eyes open slowly, and that the eyes seem to glisten due to the low lights in the catacombs. Alfredo Salafia was regarded as the finest because of his extensive knowledge in the preservation of corpses. Source: Sibeaster / Public Domain. 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. But Salafia did something different. 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