One of the most extraordinary and disquieting places in Italy. The Capuchin monks of Palermo began mummifying their dead in the 16th century and continued until 1920; the catacombs now hold around 8,000 bodies displayed in their clothes along corridor walls, organised by profession (priests, professionals, women, children). The effect is overwhelming. Not suitable for young children or the easily unsettled.
Photography was restricted in 2023; check current rules before visiting.
A story
The most famous occupant is Rosalia Lombardo, a two-year-old who died in 1920 and was mummified by the embalmer Alfredo Salafia using a formula he never disclosed. She appears so lifelike — pink cheeks, closed eyes, blonde hair — that she became known as the 'Sleeping Beauty'. Scientists finally identified Salafia's formula in 2009 from a handwritten note in his family archive: formalin, zinc salts, alcohol, salicylic acid, and glycerin. The zinc salts are what preserved her facial expression.