Catacombe dei Cappuccini, Palermo
A display of mummies in the Catacombs of the Capuchins, Palermo.
Photo © Paradoxplace.com
Photo © Paradoxplace.com
Two ladies seem to still be gossiping away. Photo © Paradoxplace.com
The alarming cover of a book on the Palemo catacombs.
An old postcard from the Capuchin Catacombs.
For visitors to Palermo whose tastes include the macabre and/or bizarre, the Catacombe dei Cappuccini (Catacombs of the Capuchins) are a must-see.
Like most displays of human remains, a visit to the mummies of the catacombs can lead to reflection on the meaning of death. But it goes without saying that this "human library" of thousands of bodies is not for the faint-hearted or weak-stomached!
In 1599, Capuchin monks discovered that their catacombs contained a mysterious preservative that helped mummify the dead.
As a result, Sicilians from nobles to maids – more than 8,000 in all – demanded to be buried here. The oldest corpses date from the late 16th century. The last corpse to be buried here was that of 2-year-old Rosalia Lombaro, who died in 1920. She still appears so lifelike that locals have dubbed her "Sleeping Beauty."
In the 1940s, Allied bombs hit the monastery, destroying many of the mummies. Giuseppe Tommasi, prince of Lampedusa and author of one of the best-known works of Sicilian literature, The Leopard, was buried here in 1957. His body was not embalmed, but buried in the cemetery next to the catacombs instead.
The Capuchin Monastery (Convento dei Cappuccini) itself was rebuilt over the remains of the original medieval church in 1623 and was once again restored in the early 20th century.
Visitors can wander through the catacombs' dank corridors among the mummified bodies. The halls are divided into categories that include: Men, Women, Virgins, Children, Priests, Monks, and Professors (including the famous painter Velasquez).
The corpses are dressed in splendid clothes, now somewhat decayed, and occupy their own individual niches according to their social status. Many of the deceased wrote wills that specified the clothes in which to bury them, and some even asked to have their clothes changed over a period of time.
Some faces are contorted as if posing for The Scream, some contrive to give the impression of enjoying a joke with their deceased peers, while others look less cheerful.
Although many corpses are still remarkably preserved, time and gravity have been cruel to others. Some are downright creepy, with body parts such as jaws or hands missing.
| Names: | Catacombe dei Cappuccini, Catacombs of the Capuchins |
| Type of site: | Christian monastery; dead on display |
| Address: | Piazza Cappuccini 1, Palermo, Sicily, Italy |
| Phone: | 091-212117 |
| Hours: | Daily 9am-noon and 3-5pm (until 7pm in summer). Closed holidays. |
| Cost: | 1.50€ |
Location Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of the Capuchin Catacombs. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Palermo Map or get our free Google Earth download.
- Palermo - The Catacombe Cappuccini - Paradoxplace.com (more photos)
- Le Catacombe dei Cappuccini – PalermoWeb.com (Italian only, but with photos)
