Catacombe dei Cappuccini, Palermo
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Catacombs beneath a monastery and church on the western outskirts of the city of Palermo on the island of Sicily, southern Italy. Its vaulted catacombs hold one of the world's most fascinating and largest displays of dead bodies on public display.
>Combinations with other dark destinations
More background info: The friars of the Capuchin Order established themselves in Sicily/Palermo in the first half of the 16th century at the church called Santa Maria della Pace. Initially, only members of the order were buried underneath the church. At that stage, bodies were simply wrapped in a sheet and lowered into a cistern, which became a mass grave. As this was unsustainable in the longer term, the piled up bodies were eventually exhumed at the turn of the 16th to the 17th century. To their surprise, the friars found that almost four dozen of the bodies had naturally mummified and were almost intact. This being seen as a miracle of sorts led to the decision to put most of these bodies on display.
Word got round and coincided with a growing trend and increasing desire among members of the social elite to be buried in sacred places or near saints. At first, the friars resisted the requests for burials of “lay corpses” amongst their own, but in the course of the 18th century they began to accept more and more of them. Before long the “lay” bodies outnumbered the dead friars and from the 19th century onwards, the Capuchin friars began to charge fees for burial in their catacombs.
The privilege of being laid to rest in the Capuchin catacombs came with obligations for the relatives of the deceased. In particular they were obliged to bring candles to be lit in front of their dead family members on All Souls’ Day, 2 November. Failure to do so could result in their relative’s body being removed from the catacombs. Such threats were not really necessary, though, as the particular Sicilian cult of the dead ensured that relatives would visit regularly and “converse” with their dead. They also changed the corpse’s clothing if it had become too frayed. They even went as far as repairing the skeletons – if, say, an arm had fallen off and they would wire it back into place.
But not only relatives came to visit. The Palermo catacombs were a destination on the Grand Tour, i.e. they (like Pompeii) became an early dark-tourism attraction! This continued when the catacombs were officially closed in the late 19th century.
A few exceptions were still made in the early 20th century, however. In 1911 the US Vice-Consul Giovanni Paterniti was embalmed and placed in the catacombs. And in 1920 the catacombs’ most famous “resident” joined. This is the elaborately embalmed body of a nearly two-year-old girl called Rosalia Lombardo. So perfect was the embalming technique that the body still looks like death had come just an hour ago – in fact she looks serenely asleep, with closed eyes, full blonde hair (with a bow in it) and perfectly natural-looking skin. The then secret embalming technique has meanwhile been analysed and disclosed. Anyway, Rosalia Lombardo is often referred to as the “most beautiful mummy in the world”. For that to remain so, however, her little coffin later had to be moved and is now housed inside an outer curved-glass-top sarcophagus which is hermetically sealed and filled with hydrogen gas.
While some sources claim that Rosalia’s body was the last to be placed in the catacombs, other sources state that occasional burials continued until the 1930s.
Also contested is the total number of dead bodies in these catacombs. Most sources (including Wikipedia) claim it’s around 8000. But the book about the catacombs that I purchased at the site (published in 2024) says a recent census found there are “only” 1252 bodies and ca. 600 coffins in the catacombs. That much lower number would still make this the world’s largest collection of dead bodies displayed in this way – and after all it’s the manner in which they are displayed that really sets this place apart (see below).
And they are not displayed haphazardly, but there is order in their arrangement, in which friars are grouped together, as are “professionals”, virgins, children, and so on.
What there is to see: This would have been the perfect example of photos saying more than a thousand words, but unfortunately I can’t provide any images since photography is strictly prohibited inside the catacombs. In a way that’s unfortunate, but to be honest I can understand why the rule is in place. Having scores of tourists wandering the corridors staring at the dead is macabre enough, letting them snap away – or worse: take selfies with the dead – would indeed seem too disrespectful.
On the other hand, this state of affairs means I have to go just by my memory without any visual aide-memoire of my own (that’s usually an important part of my photography). To partly make up for this I bought a book about the catacombs after my visit from the stall just outside the entrance (see below for details). It is richly illustrated with professional photos, but the mummies that made the greatest impression on me are, unfortunately, not covered. Nor are the photos in any way labelled so they don’t provide much structure.
But they do help to a degree in bringing back my main general memory of my visit to the Palermo Capuchin Catacombs – namely just how spooky it is down there. I’ve been to other Capuchin crypts and catacombs (e.g. in Rome or Brno), but none of these gave me quite such a creepy feeling.
You descend the stairs to the basement level, turn a corner and then you arrive at the first of a series of cavernous spaces, high-ceilinged corridors lined with niches for the dead, often several tiers high. There are four main corridors forming a rectangular floor plan plus a couple of connecting corridors. But the circuit through the catacombs is prescribed, which is actually practical as that way there’s rarely any “oncoming traffic” in the form of other visitors – only in the connecting tunnels, which are blocked at the far end so that you have to retrace your steps to get back to the main corridor. And of course you may get other visitors overtaking you (or you overtake others) but in general I didn’t find it too crowded when I was there – but that was in April (2026), still in the low season, it may be different in high season.
A distinguishing characteristic of this place is that all of the dead are clothed: from the friars in their simple brown robes with a rope for a belt, to others dressed up in their “Sunday best” and the women are often wearing pretty dresses. A few have old labels, in Italian only, but you can make out their names and sometimes their professions. A good proportion of the dead are propped up upright, within niches or along the walls, but quite a few are also in a horizontal position, mostly lying on their backs in their niches. Some children’s bodies come in pairs, lying head to head.
Not all of the dead are on display – there are also quite a number of closed coffins, and a few are buried under the floor.
The majority of the bodies on display are in actual fact mere skeletons, though still dressed, the rest are in various stages of mummification. Sometimes hardly any skin is left and it is dark and paper-like. Some bodies are much better preserved. The spookiest I found are those that still have full eye sockets. And when you look at them for a bit longer it seems like they are staring at you, not the other way round!
The very spookiest of the mummies for me was the one that reminded me a bit of “The Joker” film character (from the “Batman” series) – that was in the far corridor at the back of the complex, if I remember correctly. Quite touching are also the many tiny bodies – some very young children, almost still babies. Most of them were at the end of the first corridor, I think.
And then there is the “star” attraction, the exceptionally well-preserved body of Rosalia Lombardo who died when she was not even two years old in 1920. Her little coffin lies not out in the open but is protected by having been placed inside an extra sarcophagus with a curved glass top. It’s roped off on all four sides so you can’t get really close. And I found the lighting unfortunate: because you can hardly see Rosalia without light reflections on the glass getting in the way.
Still she is clearly the most popular “resident” here – I saw one visitor rushing through the catacombs and only stopping for a moment at Rosalia Lombardo’s sarcophagus.
I thought that quite a few other visitors were rather hurried too, hardly ever stopping at any of the displays. I, however, found that sometimes stopping for a longer look and reflecting for a moment very important in order to get the full atmosphere and let the place really get under your skin. But maybe that’s just not for everyone. Indeed this site is definitely not for the faint-hearted. It really is very dark, macabre and creepy. Let’s be quite clear about that.
So, all in all, it’s not to be taken lightly, but if you can handle the spookiness the Palermo Capuchin Catacombs are a place like no other. Creepy as hell but unique and they provide ample food for lasting memories … An absolute top site in its category (“dead on display”).
Google Maps locator: [38.1117,13.3398]
Access and costs: A bit out of the city centre requiring a ca. half-hour walk; very affordably priced.
Details: Though located a bit away from the historic centre of Palermo, it’s still walkable. From e.g. the cathedral it’s ca. 25-30 minutes. Head towards Palazzo dei Normanni, pass through Porta Nuova and carry on straight until you come to the north-western corner of Piazza Indipendenza. Take the slight right turn into Via Cappuccini and keep walking until you come to the turn-off into Via Pindemonte to the right. There’s a brown tourist sign pointing the way too. A short distance on you get to Piazza Cappuccini and in its north-eastern corner you will see the entrance marked “Ingresso Catacombe”. Part of the way could also be done by public transport (bus), but I found that unnecessary.
Opening times: daily from 9 a.m. to noon and from 3 to 5:30 p.m. (until 7 p.m. in summer), last entry 20 minutes before closing time. Make sure not to arrive during the long lunch break or you may have to wait up to two and a half hours before being let in.
Admission: 5 EUR (3 EUR concession). Note that outside resellers are not authorized to sell tickets online. You have to buy your ticket at the on-site ticket office.
Note that a strict no photography rule is in place inside the catacombs – and it’s policed. A very alert-looking security guard walks up and down the corridors at all times and there’s also CCTV.
As a visual record, however, you can buy a copy of the book “La Veglia Eterna” from the souvenir shop outside the entrance. The book is richly illustrated with photos and it comes in bilingual versions, including with English (and the English title is ‘The Eternal Vigil’). The photos are good, though some of the mummies that I found the most impressive are unfortunately not covered.
Time required: The officially estimated visiting time seems to be 20 minutes, going by the last entry rules. I’ve seen other visitors racing through even quicker. But the place deserves longer, with an opportunity for paying more attention to details and truly taking in the eerie atmosphere to the full.
Combinations with other dark destinations: To the north-west of the monastery, practically adjacent to it, lies the Capuchin Cemetery, i.e. a proper cemetery for “regular” burials. Some of the tombs are quite impressive, a few even astonishingly modernistic in style. It’s quite a crammed-in area space, though. (Photography was allowed in the cemetery, but I’ve not included any pics I took here because I didn’t want to have gallery for something that contains only images from elsewhere – but you can see one in this Blog post.)
Halfway up Via Cappuccini you pass a large partly abandoned building that might be cool for urban exploration, but fences and locks prevented that. There was one open gate, but behind it people were working inside, so I didn’t dare go in. This is the Real Albergo dei Poveri, so a former poorhouse, and parts of it seem to be in use for exhibitions (including at one point the much talked about “Bodies” exhibition, going by older photos you can find online, e.g. Google Maps). The entrance to that part would be on Corso Calatafimi.
And just to the south of the cemetery is a large abandoned industrial complex that you can also only look in from the locked gates by the street. Various graffiti are evidence of some people having managed to sneak in, but when I was there it was very busy in this street (Via Pindemonte) so I didn’t make any such attempt myself.
See also under Palermo in general.
Combinations with non-dark destinations: A ca. 10-minute walk north from the Capuchin Catacombs is the Palazzo della Zisa (Zisa Palace), one of the finest examples of Arab-Norman architecture in Palermo, with lots of Islamic stylistic elements (Tue-Sat 9:30-6:30; 6 EUR).
Otherwise, the area around the Capuchin monastery and catacombs is not particularly touristy. For that you have to head back to the historic centre of Palermo.
As pointed out above, photography was strictly forbidden inside the catacombs, but you can find numerous photos online, and the Wikipedia entry even has an embedded short video of a rushed walk through the entire catacombs (external link, opens in a new tab).