There he found Salafias surviving records. Thanks to Salafia, the body was well preserved. But Salafia did something different. 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. Alcohol dries the body [3] Sometimes called "Sleeping Beauty", hers was one of the last corpses to be admitted to the Capuchin catacombs of Palermo in Sicily. His body is not here, it has been buried. Mario Lombardo Collection: FamilySearch Family Tree Birth: 1890 - Italy Death: 1980 Wife: Maria Lombardo (born Di Cara) Children: Rosalia Lombardo, Rosalia Lombardo View the Record view all Immediate Family Maria Di Cara wife Rosalia Lombardo daughter Rosalia Lombardo daughter About Mario Lombardo Its stunning streets and crossroads run to the Capuchin Monastery, another building of fine intricate beauty. 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. X-rays of the body show that all the organs are remarkably intact. Ninety years ago, on December 6, 1920 Rosalia, daughter of Official Mario Lombardo, died of pneumonia at the age of two. Further studies however, including time-lapse photos by National Geographic, show that Rosalia does in fact blink several times an hour! How did you succeed in this feat? 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. It is interesting how we have reached a technological point that allows us to analyze such mummies without the need of them being touched or at risk of deterioration. All of which would have had a unique story to tell. Her name is Rosalia Lombardo who died on November 6th, 1920 with only two summers to her name and remains the youngest on show. The results were staggering, showing that she was indeed truly a mummy and that even her organs were still in functional condition. 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. If you want to visit Rosalia, youre not alone. It is a location rich in history between Europe and Africa on the banks of the Tyrrhenian Sea. In fact, it seems that Alfredo Salaria did not undertake any university career. Indeed, she is nicknamed the sleeping beauty. [4] Rosalia Lombardo's body is kept in a small chapel at the end of the catacomb's tour and is encased in a glass covered coffin, placed on a wooden pedestal. However, they are not perfectly closed, they are actually ajar, as if it were sleeping, yes, but on the verge of waking up. 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. So, Mario in his grief sought out the famed embalmer Alfredo Salafia to preserve Rosalia forever. But even so, there are many who prefer to believe that her spirit really does return to her body! 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. Nobody can answer these questions, a mystery that after all it is perhaps good that it remains so. Your email address will not be published. Coming to this conclusion was not difficult for them. It is possible that contact with the air before its replacement may have resulted in damage. Rosalia's father Mario Lombardo was devastated by her death and approached Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her. In 2009, an MRI scan of the little girl was performed, to see the state of preservation of the interior of the body. Rosalia is surrounded by many other bodies, over 8000, who sleep their eternal sleep in the Catacombs of the Capuchins. 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. all right reserved COOKIES & PRIVACY POLICY, 2023 by Albaincoming Eurofirst Tours. Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. When reports of Rosalia Lombardos eyes opening shocked the local community an Anthropologist called Dario Piombino-Mascali investigated the catacombs. Also, check out Children of Llullaillaco: Where Young Children Were Sacrificed to the Gods. COPYRIGHT UNSOLVED MYSTERIES & PARANORMAL ACTIVITIES, 2017-2018. Create Biography . [7] The embalming formula is described as "one part glycerin, one part formalin saturated with zinc sulfate and zinc chloride, and one part of an alcohol solution saturated with salicylic acid", and was entered into the body through a single-point injection, most likely into the femoral artery via a gravity injector. Mario Lombardo is an infantry officer who only on this day discovers what happiness is, true happiness. 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. 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. This mix of substances was injected directly through an incision in the femoral artery. 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. Life is full of constant reminders that we will one day die. Moreover, her striking crystal blue eyes are also visible underneath the blonde eyelashes. But why did the body of little Rosalia Lombardo remain in the Capuchin Catacombs for so long? Her mummified body was preserved in theCatacombe dei Cappuccini(The Capuchin Catacombs)in Palermo, a place filled with mummified bodies and corpses of other people throughout history. 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. 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. The other bodies present in the catacombs. But let's go back to that December 6, 1920. Mario Lombardo is an infantry officer who only on this day discovers what happiness is, true happiness. Mario, her father, approached Alfredo Salafia, embalmer and taxidermist, to preserve her. This entry was posted by Caleb Wilde on March 1, 2015 at 9:18 pm, and is filed under Aggregate Death. [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 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 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. The beautifully peaceful yet pallid face of the fallen angel Rosalia Lombardo is a chilling aide-mmoire that death can come anytime and to anyone. 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). One piece of evidence pointing to Mario being her father is that he supposedly named his second daughter Rosalia (after the first). Later it became part of the Roman and Arab Empires before unifying with the modern-day Kingdom of Italy in 1861. Rosalias body is now preserved in a new glass coffin, which is designed to block the growth of fungi or bacteria. Source: Multidetector CT investigation of the mummy of Rosalia Lombardo (19181920): https://www.academia.edu/4992159/Multidetector_CT_investigation_of_ Geni requires JavaScript! The heartbroken father of Rosalia sought the help of an embalmer named Alfredo Salafia to preserve his childs body. 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. 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. This shifting of her body allowed Piombino-Mascali to see her eyelids from a new angle. Rosalias 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 wanted to know the exact cause of her death in order to blame someone. It is December 13, 1918. Recommended Visit: Rosalia died due to pneumonia in a region which becomes extremely cold in the winter months. 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. Rosalia Lombardo: The Mummy That Blinks. But what curiosity are we talking about? Mario Lombardo, her father, wanted to uncover the specific cause of her death so he could "blame" someone. Mario and Maria are not married at the time of Rosalia's birth, but they are very much in love. In fact, a few years ago it was realized that the girl's face was going to meet a normal decay. The mummification was so complex that in 2009 National Geographic took X-ray and MRI scans of Rosalia to determine if she was truly mummified, or if she was a wax replica. The story of Rosalia is speculated, but unknown. Rosalia Lombardo is known by many names; The Worlds Most Beautiful Mummy, Sleeping Beauty, The Girl In The Glass Coffin and of course: The Best Preserved Mummy In The World. Some photographs taken in sequence, at intervals of about one minute, also offered a similar testimony. I spend many hours researching her and you can read more about that here if you want. First solid scientific evidence that Vikings brought animals to Britain, 500,000-year-old tools in Polish cave may have belonged to extinct hominid species. The eyes slightly open and reveal the intact blue irises. Her father, Mario Lambardo who was a General, was so struck with grief when Rosalia Lombardo died that he couldnt part with her and wanted her placed in the Capuchin Catacombs. Some researchers, who had the opportunity to study the girl's body, later discovered that it was most likely bronchopneumonia, discarding the other theories instead. Rosalia's father, Mario Lombardo, was distraught by her death and asked embalmer Alfredo Salafia to preserve her remains. 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, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. 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. They are arranged in sections such as religious figures, professions, women, virgins and children. Scientists have determined that changes in humidity in the catacombs cause changes of pressure in her body and thus her eyes to open. It is considered one of the best-preserved mummies in the world. The combination of these ingredients worked to preserve the body. 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. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. 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. Rosalia Lombardo in her glass coffin. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Salafia recorded the chemicals he injected into Rosalias body: formalin, zinc salts, alcohol, salicylic acid, and glycerin., Formalin (formaldehyde and water) eliminates bacteria Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. We have detected that you are using extensions to block ads. Directories Newly added. 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. 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