Catacombe dei Cappuccini

In the 16th century the Capuchin fathers of Palermo discovered that some bodies, once removed from their graves, showed signs of having undergone a mysterious process of natural mummification. From then until 1920, when a two-year old named Rosalia was the last mummy to be interred in the catacombs, thousands of bodies were embalmed, dressed up in their finest clothing and laid to eternal rest.

The bodies are truly striking, ranging in preservation from the almost lifelike body of Rosalia to the dried out and unrecognisable husks of unknown citizens. Wandering through the overpowering atmosphere of these corpse-lined catacombs can be an intense experience and faint-hearted visitors are definitely warned away.

Many of the dead still wear their splendid coats, now somewhat decayed; some contrive to give the impression of enjoying a joke with their deceased peers, while others look less cheerful. Most distressing of all are the children, notably the body of the two-year-old Rosalia Lombardo, whose lifelike body is preserved in a glass case behind a metal grille.

The church itself, the Convento dei Cappuccini was rebuilt over the remains of the original medieval church in 1623 and was once again restored in the early 20th century.