A haunted mummy reported to be responsible for weird supernatural activities is said to be the 'world's most beautiful.'
Rosalia Lombardo, who was mummified at age two almost 100-years-ago, draws thousands of visitors to see her every year.
Rumours and conspiracy theories have circled Rosalia for years with some tourists even claiming that the 'girl in the glass coffin' winked at them. While experts have debunked this as simply a trick of the light, the rumours have continued to circulate.
Part of the reason behind the theories is believed to be how well the girl is preserved with her still having her blond hair and waxy skin. Indeed, many have even speculated that she is a fake.
According to the Mirror, this led to rigorous testing and analysis revealing her organs were still intact and her brain had only shrunk to 50% of its original size. Apparently, out of respect, the blanket which covers her has never been pulled back, but x-rays also revealed her legs and arms to be intact and still there.
Dario Piombino-Mascali, curator of the Capuchin Catacombs where Rosalia lies, said: "It's an optical illusion produced by the light that filters through the side windows, which during the day is subject to change. [Her eyes] are not completely closed, and indeed they have never been."
The official story of Rosalia's death is unknown, but urban legend says she was preserved around 100 years ago after her grief-stricken father found it difficult to let her go. Her name comes from speculation she was the daughter of wealthy Sicilian noble Mario Lombardo, a general in the Italian military.
The Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo hold well over 8,000 bodies and include 163 children. In January 2022, it was reported scientists were called in to solve the mystery behind the child mummies in Sicily.
The embalming was performed by Alfredo Salafia, who used products like zinc, acid and alcohol to preserve the skin of those like Rosalia.
Heading up the project is Dr Kirsty Squires of Staffordshire University, who told the Guardian: "We are going in January to carry out our fieldwork. We will take a portable X-ray unit and take hundreds of images of the children from different angles.
"We are hoping to better understand their development, health and identity, comparing the biological findings with the more cultural kind of things: the way the individuals have been mummified and the clothes they are wearing as well."
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