Partly well lit, partly sombre, the Capuchin catacombs exude an eerie atmosphere. Many of the corpses are close enough to touch. The strangest aspect of all is that the assembled ranks of corporeal personalities give off no smell at all, which is more than can be said for the living world from which they have departed.

The catacombs date back to the 16th century, when the Capuchin monks of Palermo removed some bodies from their graves and discovered to their surprise that these appeared to have undergone natural mummification. Realising the religious potential, local priests mummified the body of a particularly holy monk, Brother Silvestro, for public viewing. Not to be outdone by the Church, enterprising local families decided they wanted the same treatment for their deceased relatives. The catacombs filled up rapidly. It seems to have become something of a status symbol, since some citizens indicated in their wills which clothes they wanted to be buried in, while others asked for their garments to be changed a certain time after their deaths. Vanity knows no boundaries. [More]

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