Some photographs taken in sequence, at intervals of about one minute, also offered a similar testimony. 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. Rosalia Lombardo: The mystery of the Blinking Mummy, Present condition of Rosalia Lombardos mummy: The preserved corpse was relocated. To tell the truth, many people claim to have seen his eyelids blink. Zinc to petrify the body. Within Palermo, the catacombs are a short walk from the city center, but public transportation is also available. 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. 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. 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. 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. [7], "Multidetector CT investigation of the mummy of Rosalia Lombardo (19181920)", "In the Catacombs of the Capuchin Monastery in Palermo", "Why Does This Mummy Appear To Open And Close Her Eyes? Rosalia died due to pneumonia in a region which becomes extremely cold in the winter months. MYSTERIESRUNSOLVED & MRU MEDIA, 2019-2022. Rosalia Lombardo (13 December 1918 - 6 December 1920)[1] was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. Ninety years ago, on December 6, 1920 Rosalia, daughter of Official Mario Lombardo, died of pneumonia at the age of two. 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. 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. 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. In short, Rosalia is a 98 year old mummy. Thanks to Salafia's embalming techniques, the body was well-preserved. Alfredo Salafia was regarded as the finest because of his extensive knowledge in the preservation of corpses. Even the best body at some point goes towards a process of decomposition, even if only partial. Why is he still there now that it's been over 100 years since his death? This mix of substances was injected directly through an incision in the femoral artery. 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. It seems that it was the video surveillance cameras that noticed this light and slow movement. Rosalia Lombardos story reached Professor Salafia, as he never charged his father for his services. Piombino-Mascali, in trying to find out the formula, tracked down the living relatives of the embalmer. It is a location rich in history between Europe and Africa on the banks of the Tyrrhenian Sea. In fact, a few years ago it was realized that the girl's face was going to meet a normal decay. Rosalia's daddy, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. The catacombs are open nearly everyday and the entry fee is only 3 euros. 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. You will then receive an email that helps you regain access. [3] Sometimes called "Sleeping Beauty", hers was one of the last corpses to be admitted to the Capuchin catacombs of Palermo in Sicily. There he found Salafias surviving records. Rosalia Lombardo (December 13, 1918 in Palermo, Italy - December 6, 1920), was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. 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. Her father Mario Lombardo, who was an local official, engaged noted embalmer, Alfredo Salafia to mummify her body. So, Mario in his grief sought out the famed embalmer Alfredo Salafia to preserve Rosalia forever. They are arranged in sections such as religious figures, professions, women, virgins and children. 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. 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. The researchers wanted to see what state his body was in. This, along with the light that filters in various ways through the tombs windows throughout the day, causes the girls eyes to seem open. Rosalia Lombardos body is kept in a small chapel at the end of the catacombs tour and is encased in a glass covered coffin, placed on a wooden pedestal. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. 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. It is difficult to untangle the feelings aroused by Rosalia, innocent and young, yet frozen between worlds, un-allowed to decay least her family lose her spirit forever. Husband of Assunta Mananizza Father of Eugenia Lombardo and Rosalinda Lombardo. Rosalia's father Mario Lombardo was devastated by her death and approached Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her. Recently, the mummification techniques used by Salafia were discovered in a handwritten memoir of Salafias. Rosalia died of pneumonia on December 6, 1920. 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. The typical embalming procedures include the complete removal of organs. Rosalias preserved body came out looking like the most alive mummy in the world. Mario Lombardo, her father, wanted to uncover the specific cause of her death so he could "blame" someone. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. (The oldest is a friar from 1599 called Silvestro da Gubbio). Rosalia's father, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. Source: Multidetector CT investigation of the mummy of Rosalia Lombardo (19181920): https://www.academia.edu/4992159/Multidetector_CT_investigation_of_ Geni requires JavaScript! She lies in the coffin, glass-covered and on a wooden pedestal. Historic Mysteries provides captivating articles on archaeology, history, and unexplained mysteries. (Sibeaster / Wikimedia Commons). Her premature death at age two left her father grief-stricken. The other bodies present in the catacombs. Their families would continue to fund the monks who cared for the deceased for example with new clothes. The body of Rosalia is famous among the 8,000 bodies present in these catacombs under the Capuchin convent. Researchers and scholars had made many hypotheses, but without any evidence and without having official documentation. Thanks to these tricks it will be possible to keep this body intact for a long, long time. 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. Many others thought that the eyes might blink due to the temperature changes inside the catacomb, which made her eyelids contract and thus produced the blink-like effect. Her mummified body, sometimes referred to as 'Sleeping Beauty', was one of the last corpses to be admitted to the Capuchin . In 1933 when the Sicilian embalmer passed away, he wrote down the secret formula of the preservation. The formalin wiped out all the bacteria, and the salicylic acid helped in removing any fungi present in the flesh. [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. Available at: https://www.amusingplanet.com/2017/01/rosalia-lombardo-mummy-that-blinks.html, Mystery of The Blinking Child Mummy Solved. Maria di Cara, his partner, has in fact just given birth to their first daughter, Rosalia. Top Image: Rosalia Lombardo. Managed by: David Nicholas Yustin: Interesting history topics are just a click away. It is December 13, 1918. Glycerin keeping the body from becoming too dry Indeed, she is nicknamed the sleeping beauty. Thanks to Salafias embalming techniques, the body was well preserved. Rosalias father, Official Mario Lombardo, was sorely grieved upon her death, so he approached Alfredo Salafia, a noted embalmer, to preserve her. This process does not offer any kind of respect for the facial features, but despite this there were many people who sought such treatment. His body is not here, it has been buried. Father of Rosalia Lombardo and Rosalia Lombardo. And the body of Alfredo Salaria? It is possible that contact with the air before its replacement may have resulted in damage. But why did the body of little Rosalia Lombardo remain in the Capuchin Catacombs for so long? 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). After washing with vinegar, they were filled with straw and then dressed. The heartbroken father of Rosalia sought the help of an embalmer named Alfredo Salafia to preserve his childs body. 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. 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. 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. He was always waiting for . Rosalia Lombardo born on December 13, 1918, was a Sicilian kid that died of pneumonia on December 6, 1920 from the Spanish flu. But in doing so, she became something larger than life. Rosalia's father, Official Mario Lombardo, was sorely grieved upon her death, so he approached Alfredo Salafia, a noted embalmer, to preserve her. It is so amazingly well-maintained that even X-rays show the internal organs to be intact. Rosalia Lombardo (13 December 1918 - 6 December 1920) was an Italian child who died of pneumonia, resulting from the Spanish flu, one week shy of her second birthday. It should be remembered that in 1925, five years after Rosalia's death, the Lombard couple had another baby girl, who was called with the same name as their little sister, in her eternal memory. Rosalia captures the hearts of thousands each year. Rosalia Lombardo's father, official Mario Lombardo, was severely upset by the death of his loved daughter and contacted a famous Sicilian embalmer, Alfredo Salafia, to preserve the body of Rosalia. Her curly blonde hair and a ribbon on it make her look like she is just sleeping. Source: Sibeaster / Public Domain. [6] The mummy remains one of the best preserved bodies in the catacombs. The mummy is still one of the tombs finest preserved corpses. Scientists have determined that changes in humidity in the catacombs cause changes of pressure in her body and thus her eyes to open. Watch on Mario Lombardo was overcome by grief when his only child died of pneumonia. For years the mix of chemicals that Alfredo Salaria used on Rosalia remained unknown, as well as the technique used. 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. 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. The catacombs of the Capuchins of Palermo. On the historical island of Sicily sits the Sicilian capital of Palermo, resting on the toe of Italys boot-based geographical shape. 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. Mario, her father, approached Alfredo Salafia, embalmer and taxidermist, to preserve her. To add further to the folklore surrounding the Sleeping Beauty, rumor had it that Rosalia would blink multiple times a day. The Normans were a group from France unified by a famous Viking called Rollo who took over much of Europe. The techniques used by Alfredo Salafia have marveled many. They tell of a young child, born frail and weak, who endured more pain and sickness throughout her short life than most do in their lifetimes. Required fields are marked *. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. 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. He has written for 8 years in a variety of fields including history, health and politics. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. The latter was a Sicilian little girl born in 1918 and dead in 1920 of pneumonia, at just two years. However, they are not perfectly closed, they are actually ajar, as if it were sleeping, yes, but on the verge of waking up. Thats hard to say. All of which would have had a unique story to tell. People have witnessed that her eyes open slowly, and that the eyes seem to glisten due to the low lights in the catacombs. The body was beautifully preserved thanks to Salafias embalming procedures. The owner of this site is using Wordfence to manage access to their site. Even though mummification is still practised in some distant cultures, it is uncommon in the Western world. The embalming of the body of Rosalia Lombardo by Alfredo Salaria. Nothing to do with Rosalia's body! 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. 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. Zinc salts to keep a state of preservation Others passed this phenomenon off as changes of the light. 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. These questions arise spontaneously. But even so, there are many who prefer to believe that her spirit really does return to her body! Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. Another writer speaks of the temptation and sights that Palermo offers to some famous people of history past, Aunique cultural heritagethat in many centuries has attracted and fascinated onlookers from all over the world, including many intellectuals, poets and writers such asAlexandre Dumas, Mario Praz, Guy de Maupassant, Fanny Lewald and Carlo Levi.. One strange phenomenon that scared all the tourists visiting the catacombs was that the mummy was blinking or at least that is what most people saw. Her father Mario Lombardo was understandably so beset with heartache that he sought out a renowned local embalmer by the name of Alfredo Salafia. Salicylic acid to stop the growth of fungi At a closer look, it can be seen that her eyes are not 100% closed and this was probably done with the intention by Alfredo Salafia to make her look more alive. One resident was not famous in her short life but became infamous in death. Her body was one of the last corpses to be admitted to the Capuchin catacombs of Palermo in Sicily. The salts preserved her appearance perfectly, even preventing her nasal cavities and her cheeks from caving in. 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. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. People were curious to know what was causing the dead body to blink. Not only that, he also added paraffin, duly dissolved in ether. Rosalia Lombardo (13 December 1918 - 6 December 1920) [1] was a Palermitan child who died of pneumonia, resulting from the Spanish flu, [2] one week before her second birthday. 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. A 2009 National Geographic photograph of Rosalia Lombardo shows the mummy is beginning to show signs of decomposition, most notably discoloration. Biblio data only below the dashed line. General Mario Lombardo, who is said to have been so grief-stricken when she died that he refused to bury her and instead chose to have her body preserved. Her grieving father couldn't settle . 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. She lays near THOUSANDS of preserved humans in the 4 corridors beneath the Capuchin Church - Palermo, Sicily for all to see. 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. Her father, Mario Lombardo, was so grief stricken that he asked an embalmer to preserve Rosalia's remains. When he uncovered this trove of the embalmers papers, he stumbled upon the document where the embalmer recorded all the chemicals that were injected in the body of Rosalia. X-rays of the body show that all the organs are remarkably intact. Rosalia was an Italian child who died in 1918 in Palermo. Shes located in the Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo, Sicily with over 8,000 other mummies. Further studies however, including time-lapse photos by National Geographic, show that Rosalia does in fact blink several times an hour! 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. 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. 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. Alfredo Salafia was considered the best as he had a lot of experience preserving corpses. The researchers wanted to see embalmer Alfredo Salafia island of Sicily sits the Sicilian passed... Return to her body experience preserving corpses to mummify her body and thus her eyes open! Year old mummy, many people claim to have seen his eyelids blink so stricken... 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