The Story Behind Capuchin Monastery Catacombs

One of the most unusual and admittedly ghoulish sites in Palermo has to be the Capuchin Monastery Catacombs. If you are looking for a conversation starter for your next dinner party, schedule a visit here. If you dare.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BEUEEVRBx1J/?tagged=palermocatacombs

In the 1600s, the cemetery overseen by the Capuchin monks was full. Instead of expanding the traditional burial grounds when Brother Silvestro of Gubbio died, the monks decided to excavate the crypts below the cemetery and mummified him so they could continue to be and pray with him. It is this monk who greets you at the entrance to the catacombs all these hundreds of years later.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRn5AyNAToA/?tagged=palermocatacombs

https://www.instagram.com/p/BLbbTe7gSfU/?tagged=palermocatacombs

The warren of rooms are divided into separate sections. Priests are dressed in their clerical vestments and military and public officials still wear their dress uniforms. There are dedicated rooms for virgins, women, men, children and infants. Some bodies are embalmed and displayed in glass caskets while others are hung in a standing position from the walls. Many of the bodies are now protected by wire cages because people were taking bones as macabre souvenirs.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRnX-LIjgoL/?tagged=rosalialombardo

One of the most famous and heartbreaking residents of the catacombs is Rosalia Lombardo. Rosalia was just two years old when she died tragically of pneumonia. She appears dressed in a party dress, as if she is just sleeping in a glass coffin, her body perfectly preserved with a slight purple cast. The embalming technique was a mystery until Italian biological anthropologist, Dario Piombino-Mascali, who works with the Institute for Mummies and the famous Iceman in Bolzano, tracked down living relatives of the embalmer. Alfredo Salafia was a Sicilian taxidermist and embalmer who died in 1933. His handwritten notes outline a chemical formula of formalin, zinc salts, alcohol, salicylic acid and glycerin that account for the incredible condition of the sweet lost Rosalia.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWLI3x1Da_y/?taken-at=4318719

The catacombs are said to hold 8,000 bodies but the number is probably closer to 2,000, some of them quite notable. Rumor has it that celebrated writer of the novel The Leopard, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa is here, but his body is actually buried at the nearby cemetery. There are members of the Sicilian aristocracy, lawyers, doctors, artists and even the son of a Tunisian king inside, their preserved bodies dressed in clothes they wore in life resting for eternity below the streets of Palermo.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.