Museum of the dead in Palermo.

Capuchin Catacombs - a monument to the Christian necrophilia ... Not just a "museum of the Dead" and the personification of the Sicilian cult of death ... In the vast cellars of the Capuchin monastery billed about 8,000 bodies, most of which belong to the local elite and prominent citizens of the past - the priesthood, the aristocracy and the representatives of other honorable professions ...

The practice of mummification in Sicily emerged at the end of the XVI century, when the local Capuchin Fathers have found that in the catacombs under their monastery contained a mysterious preservative, naturally retaining rotting corpse ...





The first burial dates back to 1599 ...



This is the power of the local priest Sylvester, featuring special righteousness ...



But over time, mummification became fashionable, and the desire to be buried in such a non-traditional way of Christianity, many residents have expressed ...



In the catacombs of Palermo represented all of the past - men and women, children ...



Couples - like in genre scenes ...



Some pointed to the wills clothes that are willing to be exposed ...



On most festive attire ...



The officer - uniforms as the French koronёre Enia Di Giuliano (Enea Di Giuliano), who died in 1948 ...



On the "pro" - insignia and elusive plaque profession ...



This - the ambassador of Sicily in the United States, who died in 1912 ...



And this is - the artist's brother ...



Special attention is paid to the clergy ...



The most famous inhabitant of the museum and a lovely Rosalia Lombardo - "Sleeping Beauty", buried in the catacombs of the latter in 1920 ... Amazing preservation of the body made it possible to assert that the girl Rosalia is not really dead, just sleeping ...



It is said that a doctor, prepare the body died, never having given 300-year-old secret of embalming ...



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