The Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo, also called the Catacombe dei Cappuccini or Catacombs of the Capuchins, are underground burial places in Palermo, Sicily, southern Italy. Today, they are a somewhat eerie tourist attraction and an important record of history.
Historical background
In the 16th century, Palermo's Capuchin monastery grew too large for its original cemetery. To make space, monks began digging underground rooms called crypts. In 1599, they preserved one of their members, Brother Silvestro of Gubbio, who had recently died, and placed him in the underground catacombs.
Bodies were dried using ceramic pipes on racks inside the catacombs. Sometimes, they were washed with vinegar. Some bodies were preserved with special liquids, while others were stored in sealed glass cases. Monks were kept with their daily clothing, and some wore ropes they used for religious penance.
At first, the catacombs were only for dead monks. Later, being buried there became a way to show importance. People left instructions in their wills about what clothes they wanted to be buried in, or even asked to change their clothing regularly. Priests wore their religious robes, while others wore clothes from the time they lived. Family members visited to pray for the dead and to keep the bodies looking neat.
The catacombs were kept open through donations from the families of the deceased. Each new body was first placed in a temporary spot and later moved to a more permanent location. As long as donations continued, the body stayed in its place. If family members stopped giving money, the body was moved to a shelf until payments resumed.
Interments
In 1871, Brother Riccardo was the last friar buried in the catacombs, but other well-known people were buried later. The catacombs were officially closed in 1880, but visitors still came to see them. The last burials happened in the 1920s and 1930s. One of the final burials was Rosalia Lombardo, who was nearly two years old at the time. Her body has remained very well-preserved because of a special process done by Professor Alfredo Salafia. His method used formalin to stop bacteria, alcohol to dry the body, glycerin to prevent over-drying, salicylic acid to stop fungi, and zinc salts (zinc sulfate and zinc chloride) to make the body stiff. The mixture used one part glycerin, one part formalin mixed with both zinc salts, and one part alcohol mixed with salicylic acid. Later, because her body began to decay, it was moved to a drier area in the catacombs. Her coffin was placed inside a completely sealed glass container filled with nitrogen gas to stop further decay. The final burial was that of Giovanni Licata di Baucina, the count of Isnello, in 1939.
The catacombs hold about 8,000 bodies and 1,252 mummies, as reported by a census done by EURAC in 2011. These bodies line the walls of the halls, which are organized by category: men, women, virgins, children, priests, monks, and professionals. Some bodies are more preserved than others. Some are placed in special poses, such as two children sitting together in a rocking chair. Families could access the coffins on certain days to pray with their loved ones.
Famous people buried in the catacombs include:
Scientific research
The Sicily Mummy Project was started in 2007 to study mummies and learn more about the people who were mummified. The project is led by anthropologist Dario Piombino-Mascali from the Department of Cultural Heritage and Sicilian Identity in Palermo, and is supported by the European Academy of Bozen/Bolzano. Scientists use X-rays and CT scans, along with other scientific methods, to gather information about the mummies' age and gender. Piombino-Mascali says the program has helped people in Sicily begin new conversations about death.
For many years, discussing death was avoided in Sicily. Now, because of the scientific discoveries from the mummies, people are learning that death has always been a part of life in Sicily. For centuries, many Sicilians used mummification to keep a connection between life and death.
— Dario Piombino-Mascali, January 2013, Archaeology News Network
Forensic biologist Mark Benecke found several insects that helped scientists understand the mummification process.
Recent scientific research has focused on learning more about the children buried in the Capuchin Catacombs.
Tourism
The catacombs are open to the public. Photography inside is not allowed, and clear signs inform visitors of this rule. Some bodies have been shown in films and television programs, such as Francesco Rosi's Cadaveri Eccellenti ("Illustrious Corpses") and series like Coach Trip on Channel 4, The Human Body on BBC TV in 1998, Francesco's Italy: Top to Toe, Ghosthunting With Paul O'Grady and Friends on ITV2 in 2008, and The Learning Channel in 2000. Metal grates have been added to stop visitors from disturbing or posing with the remains.