The Blinking Mummy – Rosalia Lombardo

Warning: This post contains pictures of a dead child. Although no gore or disfigurements are present, it could be distressing for some viewers.

This one seems more relevant than ever. Rosalia Lombardo died at the tender age of one year old. Just one week short of her second birthday.

She died on the 6th of December 1920. A victim of the Spanish flu. Her parents were understandably heartbroken. So her father approached Alfredo Salafia, an embalmer. He wanted to preserve her body.

Salafia did such an expert job, little Rosalia looks as though she is sleeping peacefully.

The Blinking Mummy

Little Rosalia’s body is interred in the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo in Sicily, where it can still be viewed today. She looks so peaceful that she is affectionately known as “sleeping beauty”. Her mummified remains are preserved so well, she is thought to be the best example of a mummy in the entire world.

And, she blinks.

Yes, you read that right. A strange phenomenon has been noted in Rosalia’s tomb. Which you can see below.

Several times a day, her eyes open and close. Curator of the Catacombs, Dario Piombino-Mascali has stated that it is an optical illusion produced by the changing light levels filtering through the side windows.

As you can see from above, it certainly looks more pronounced than he’s letting on. Maybe changing heat and moisture levels effect the eyelids. Whatever the reason, it makes for a very odd illusion.

If you want to see Rosalia for yourself, you can. Her and the other 8000 bodies in the Catacombs are on display for tourists to walk amongst. You can go visit for yourself and see if she does indeed blink.

Sources:

Rosalia Lombardo (wikipedia.org)

Mystery of the blinking mummy (archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com)

Palermo Catacombs (palermocatacombs.com)

Header Image (pixabay.com)