It was still a mystery until the curator of Capuchin catacombs, Dario Piombino-Mascali, proved a new theory. Rosalia Lombardo (December 13, 1918 in Palermo, Italy - December 6, 1920), was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. ", "This Mummified Two-Year-Old Appears to Blink Every Day", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rosalia_Lombardo&oldid=1135738502, Sleeping Beauty of the Capuchin Catacombs, Being in an especially well preserved state in her tomb, in the, This page was last edited on 26 January 2023, at 15:26. 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. Rosalia Lombardo (13 December 1918 - 6 December 1920) was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. Rosalia's father, Official Mario Lombardo, was sorely grieved upon her death, so he approached Alfredo Salafia, a noted embalmer, to preserve her. Rosalia, an Italian child born on December 13 in the year 1918, died due to pneumonia as a result of the Spanish flu less than two years later, on December 6, 1920. Rosalia meant the world to her family, especially her father who sought to preserve her eternally. Thank you for your cooperation.You can sign-up to the Membership any time to remove the adds and enjoy the content with no interruptions, Rosalia Lombardos perfectly preserved body, by Andrei Tapalaga | Sep 6, 2022 | Culture. The anthropologist then realized that her eyes were actually never closed, and it had only been a trick of the light that made them seem so. The two are more and more in love, they lead a comfortable and peaceful life and their little girl grows up beautiful, healthy and strong. Rosalia Lombardo (13 December 1918 6 December 1920)[1] was an Italian child who died of pneumonia. Alfredo Salaria used glycerin, formalin, zinc salts, alcohol and salicylic acid on the body of little Rosalia. [8], The mummy has achieved further notoriety for a phenomenon in which her eyes appear to open and close several times a day, revealing her intact blue irises. (The oldest is a friar from 1599 called Silvestro da Gubbio). Maria di Cara, his partner, has in fact just given birth to their first daughter, Rosalia. Mario Lombardo refused to bury her daughter, claiming that losing his son had left him distraught. It is so amazingly well-maintained that even X-rays show the internal organs to be intact. There is one last curiosity concerning Rosalia Lombardo. The combination of these ingredients worked to preserve the body. The latter was a Sicilian little girl born in 1918 and dead in 1920 of pneumonia, at just two years. 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">. 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. The daughter was always sick. The mummy is one of the best preserved bodies in the catacombs. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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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. Despite providing her with the greatest medicine available at the time, she was still extremely young and lacked the necessary immune system to combat bronchopneumonia. Others passed this phenomenon off as changes of the light. If you think you have been blocked in error, contact the owner of this site for assistance. Piombino-Mascali, in trying to find out the formula, tracked down the living relatives of the embalmer. Rosalia's father, official Mario Lombardo, was sorely grieved upon her death, so he approached Alfredo Salafia, a noted embalmer, to undertake the task of preserving her. 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. Recently, the mummification techniques used by Salafia were discovered in a handwritten memoir of Salafias. She lies in the coffin, glass-covered and on a wooden pedestal. Her father, Mario Lombardo wanted to know the exact cause of her death in order to "blame" someone. It is thanks to all of this that little Rosalia's body has reached us intact. He has worked on many projects in the past including tzi the Tyrolean Iceman from Italy and the Kabayan Mummies also known as the fire mummies of the Philippines. Maria Cara Lombardo e Mario Lombardo, i genitori della piccola Rosalia (per gentile concessione della . Rosalia was born on December 13, 1918 and died on December 6, 1920 of pneumonia. Her golden blonde hair is very neatly tied with a beautiful silk bow. VAT No. Rosalia's father, Mario Lombardo, was grieving her death, asked Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer, to preserve her remains. Rosalia Lombardos story reached Professor Salafia, as he never charged his father for his services. Despite offering her the best medication possible at the time, she was too young and didnt have a strong enough immune system to be able to fight pneumonia. How did you succeed in this feat? The eyes slightly open and reveal the intact blue irises. Glycerin prevented her body from desiccating or drying out. People Projects . Genealogy profile for Mario Lombardo. 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. Her body is starting to take on a yellow waxy skin texture. On December 6, 1920, a few days after her second birthday, Rosalia died. Source: Sibeaster / Public Domain. The eyes are half closed, so that the face can appear even more relaxed and sweet, an intense serenity. all right reserved. [2] Accept Read More, https://www.youtube.com/embed/jrbbOCuDJCE, Post Mortem Photography Immortalizing the Dead, Padre Pio Stigmata, Miracle Worker or Fraud, https://www.amusingplanet.com/2017/01/rosalia-lombardo-mummy-that-blinks.html, https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2014/06/mystery-of-blinking-child-mummy-solved.html. Why is there an Elephant Buried Beneath the Vatican. Mario and Maria are not married at the time of Rosalia's birth, but they are very much in love. Her premature death at age two left her father grief-stricken. Daughter of Mario Lombardo and Maria Di Cara The paraffin dissolved in the ether, then applied on the girls face, creates the illusion that she is staring straight at whoever is staring at her. The formula consisted of formalin, zinc salts, alcohol, salicylic acid, and glycerin. Mario was so devastated by her death that he asked Alfredo Salafia (a well-known Italian pharmacist) to mummify her and keep her as alive as possible (by looking). While her eyes generally open just slightly more than 1/8th of an inch, they open to reveal perfectly intact baby blue eyes. 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. But, this supposed sister is strangely quiet and difficult to learn about. Also, check out Children of Llullaillaco: Where Young Children Were Sacrificed to the Gods. Rosalia Lombardo - The Blinking Mummy . This, along with the light that filters in various ways through the tombs windows throughout the day, causes the girls eyes to seem open. He then approached the monks who ran the Capuchin Catacombs and begged for his daughter to be placed there. Connect to 3,088 Lombardo profiles on Geni, Antonino Lombardo, Lombardo (ne Lombardo (Ne Corrao)), Maria Italia Lombardo, Antonino Lombardo, Lombardo, Lombardo, Lombardo, Antonino Lombardo, Rosalia Lombardo (ne Corrao), pe Dit Armando Lombardo, Concetta Pancano (ne Lombardo), Maria Italia Aiello (ne Lombardo), Antonino Lombardo, Alfredo Dit Adolfo Lombardo, Palermo, Province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy. This entry was posted by Caleb Wilde on March 1, 2015 at 9:18 pm, and is filed under Aggregate Death. Indeed, it is quite difficult to gaze at the little body lying in the glass coffin and still not believe that the girl will awaken at any moment. Rosalia Lombardos mummified body appeared to be the most alive mummy in the world. After 7 months from the birth of the child they also decide to get married, aware that they need to take this step in order to guarantee serenity and tranquility for their family. 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