The face of 2-year-old Italian girl Rosalia Lombardo (1918 – December 6, 1920) is still intact, fresh, and looks like she is sleeping soundly. The face of 2-year-old Italian girl Rosalia Lombardo (1918 – December 6, 1920) is still intact, fresh, and looks like she is sleeping soundly.
The mummy of 2-year-old Italian girl Rosalia Lombardo (1918 – December 6, 1920) is considered “the most beautiful mummy in the world”. The baby’s face is still intact and fresh, looking like he is sleeping soundly.
Beautiful mummy
Baby Lombardo died at the age of 2 on December 6, 1920 from the flu. The baby’s father, General Lombardo, was saddened when his beloved daughter passed away and wanted to preserve her appearance. This general went to Alfredo Salafia’s embalmer to ask him to preserve his child’s body. He asked to preserve his daughter’s body in the Capuchin catacombs in Palermo (Italy). Rosalia was the last case received at this crypt.
Baby Rosalia looks very fresh as if she is sleeping soundly.
After nearly a century, little Rosalia’s body is still fresh and lovely, as if she is sleeping peacefully. The golden hair still flutters on the baby’s innocent face, and the beautiful hairpin still remains on her head. Every day, many tourists still come here to see the body of the lovely little girl Rosalia.
Formula to embalm baby Rosalia
People have long asked the question why the nearly 100-year-old mummy of baby Rosalia still retains such a fresh appearance like a living person?
Scientist Dario Piombino-Mascali, an anthropology expert at the Mummy and Iceman Research Institute in Bolzano (Italy), has found the answer. He found the secret formula that helps baby Rosalia’s body be well preserved to this day.
Rosalia’s body is preserved in the Capuchin catacombs in Palermo (Italy).
Scientist Piombino-Mascali sought out the surviving relatives of embalmer Salafia – the person who embalmed baby Rosalia and died in 1933. Luckily, Mr. Mascali found a manuscript by Salafia, which should clearly state the chemicals injected into baby Rosalia’s body to preserve her body.
Specifically, Salafia used the following substances: formalin (formaldehyde solution), zinc salts, alcohol, salicylic acid and glycerin.
Formalin is widely used today in embalming. This is a mixed solution of formaldehyde and water, this solution has the effect of killing bacteria. Salafia was one of the first people in the world to use this mixture for embalming. Alcohol along with the dry environment in the tomb will help Rosalia’s body dry. Glycerin helps prevent the baby’s body from losing too much water and salicylic acid helps prevent fungal growth.
However, according to Melissa Johnson Williams – Director of the American Embalming Association, zinc salt is the factor that helped baby Rosalia’s body remain intact, causing baby Rosalia’s body to turn to stone. Today in the US people no longer use this type of zinc salt.
And scientist Piombino-Mascali praised and called embalmer Salafia an artist and someone who raised embalming to the highest level.