For years the mix of chemicals that Alfredo Salaria used on Rosalia remained unknown, as well as the technique used. 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. But even so, there are many who prefer to believe that her spirit really does return to her body! [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? One piece of evidence pointing to Mario being her father is that he supposedly named his second daughter Rosalia (after the first). 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. Available at: https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2014/06/mystery-of-blinking-child-mummy-solved.html. 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. , thanks to the possibility that he was granted access to the anatomical school of Professor Randaccio. Mario, her father, approached Alfredo Salafia, embalmer and taxidermist, to preserve her. All rights reserved. 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. Who is wrong? Rosalia Lombardo. Catacombe dei Cappuccini | Palermo, Italy, Fact Analysis: If you find the above article inaccurate or biased, please let us know at[emailprotected]. Luckily for the scientific community they consented and Dario found a handwritten memoir reveling the exact formula injected into Rosalia. Why is there an Elephant Buried Beneath the Vatican. 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. Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. 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. Shes located in the Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo, Sicily with over 8,000 other mummies. On the historical island of Sicily sits the Sicilian capital of Palermo, resting on the toe of Italys boot-based geographical shape. The body of little Rosalia has closed eyelids as if she were sleeping. 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 We can only imagine the agony of the parents of little Rosalia. But Salafia did something different. Rosalia Lombardo (December 13, 1918 - December 6, 1920), was an Italian child who passed away of pneumonia. He made a small puncture and injected a mixture of zinc salts, formalin, glycerin, and salicylic acid. [2] Her mummified body, sometimes referred to as "Sleeping Beauty", was one of the last corpses to be admitted to the Capuchin catacombs of Palermo in Sicily. In the 100 years since her death in 1920, Rosalia has become interwoven with Sicilian lore. Moreover, her striking crystal blue eyes are also visible underneath the blonde eyelashes. 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. Rosalia died due to pneumonia in a region which becomes extremely cold in the winter months. They are arranged in sections such as religious figures, professions, women, virgins and children. This entry was posted by Caleb Wilde on March 1, 2015 at 9:18 pm, and is filed under Aggregate Death. Your email address will not be published. So ajar, they always seem on the verge of opening up, as if there is a hope that that little girl can return to life. But why the bottle under Rosalia's head is completely empty remains an inexplicable mystery. Created By: Gillian Sarah | Copyright 2018 Kelsea Ventures, style="display:block; text-align:center;" data-ad-layout="in-article" data-ad-format="fluid" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3840146551937959" data-ad-slot="9292028712">. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. 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. While Rosalia was mostly kept intact during embalming, her blood was drained and replaced by the magical formula used by Alfredo. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. [5] 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. Biblio data only below the dashed line. 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. You can also read the documentation to learn about Wordfence's blocking tools, or visit wordfence.com to learn more about Wordfence. Rosalia Lombardo (13 December 1918 - 6 December 1920)[1] was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. Required fields are marked *. Many find it too overwhelming to be underground with what looks like an army of the dead from a horror film, including an Argentinian companion of mine who had to surface for air and rejoin the mortal beings above. Mario Lombardo, her father, wanted to uncover the specific cause of her death so he could "blame" someone. Agatha Christies Disappearance: Amnesia, Suicide, or Despair? A century has passed, but her corpse still looks like the little girl is just dozing under the glass case of the casket. Its thought that changes in temperature inside the crypt cause her eyelids to contract to produce the blinking effect. [3] 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. Mario Lombardo is an infantry officer who only on this day discovers what happiness is, true happiness. The body was beautifully preserved thanks to Salafias embalming procedures. But the magical element was the zinc salts which gave Rosalias body rigidity. This process does not offer any kind of respect for the facial features, but despite this there were many people who sought such treatment. [3] Sometimes called "Sleeping Beauty", hers was one of the last corpses to be admitted to the Capuchin catacombs of Palermo in Sicily. 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. Some said this was her spirit returning to her body. X-rays of the body show that all the organs are remarkably intact. However, the work that Alfredo Salaria managed to carry out on the body of little Rosalia is incredible, his most successful work ever, the body considered the most beautiful in the world by scholars and experts in the sector. 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. Caligulas stunning 2,000-year-old sapphire ring tells of a dramatic love story, Evidence of a 14,000-year-old settlement found in western Canada, Archaeologists locate earliest known North American settlement, 2,400-year-old baskets still filled with fruit found in the submerged Egyptian city, 9,000-year-old site near Jerusalem is the Big Bang of prehistory settlement, Oldest stone tools ever found were not made by human hands, study suggests, Mysterious skeleton revealed to be that of unusual lady anchoress of York Barbican. 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. Ninety years ago, on December 6, 1920 Rosalia, daughter of Official Mario Lombardo, died of pneumonia at the age of two. It is December 13, 1918. After washing with vinegar, they were filled with straw and then dressed. 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 skin of Rosalia still appears very smooth, as if it is made of porcelain. 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. Mario Lombardo, Rosalia's father, was determined to find out the exact cause of her death in order to assign blame. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Rosalia Lombardo: The Mummy That Blinks. Rosalias preserved body came out looking like the most alive mummy in the world. A 2009 National Geographic photograph of Rosalia Lombardo shows the mummy is beginning to show signs of decomposition, most notably discoloration. Thanks to Salafia's embalming . 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. Her father, Mario Lombardo, was so grief stricken that he asked an embalmer to preserve Rosalia's remains. What is certain, however, is that Rosalia's parents traveled a lot in the years following her death, for work reasons. In short, Rosalia is a 98 year old mummy. In fact, it seems that Alfredo Salaria did not undertake any university career. 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. And the body of Alfredo Salaria? But what curiosity are we talking about? 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. Rosalia died barely one week before her second birthday. 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. Rosalia Lombardos mummified body appeared to be the most alive mummy in the world. Enjoyed this article? 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 catacombs of the Capuchins of Palermo. 2009-2021 Historic Mysteries. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0.You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. 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. STSTW Media strives to deliver accurate information through careful research.