Catacombe dei Cappuccini

Eight thousand mummified bodies beneath a Capuchin monastery — a status burial that ran for centuries.

Price: From €3
Hours: Roughly 9am–1pm and 3–6pm
Avg. visit: 45 minutes to an hour
Book ahead: Not usually needed

Beneath a Capuchin monastery in Palermo, a network of corridors holds around 8,000 mummified bodies dating from the 16th century through to the early 20th century. What began as a burial practice specifically for the monastery's own friars expanded over time into a sought-after status burial for the city's professional and merchant classes, who paid for the privilege of being preserved and displayed alongside the monks.

The bodies are arranged in categories along the corridors — monks, professionals, women, children — many still dressed in the clothing of their era, some posed upright as if standing rather than laid flat. The best-preserved of all is Rosalia Lombardo, a two-year-old girl who died in 1920 and was embalmed using a technique so effective that her body remains startlingly lifelike, appearing almost asleep rather than deceased — a case that continues to draw specific scientific interest into the embalming methods used.

Inside

What to see

The corridors of mummified bodies, arranged by category — monks, professionals, women, children
Rosalia Lombardo, the best-preserved of all the bodies, embalmed in 1920
Period clothing still worn by many of the bodies, offering a direct record of historical Sicilian dress
The monastery above, which continues to maintain the catacombs

Practical

Good to know

Photography is prohibited throughout the catacombs, strictly enforced.
This is genuinely confronting and not appropriate for everyone, children included — consider carefully before bringing young or sensitive visitors.
The site is treated with a degree of solemnity by staff and most visitors, in keeping with its nature as a burial site rather than a conventional museum.

Timing

When it's busiest

Morning: Quiet
Midday: Moderate
Afternoon: Moderate
Late afternoon: Quiet

Nearby

Combine your visit

Back toward the centre

Palazzo dei Normanni & Cappella Palatina

Return to the historic centre for a very different kind of Sicilian history.

Visit →

Back toward the centre

Ballarò, Capo & Vucciria markets

Lighten the mood with Palermo's lively working markets.

Visit →

Different pace entirely

Mondello

Trade the catacombs for an afternoon at the beach.

Visit →

FAQ

Common questions

Is photography allowed?

No, photography is strictly prohibited throughout the catacombs.

Is this suitable for children?

It's genuinely confronting and not considered appropriate for everyone, children included — worth careful consideration in advance.

Who was Rosalia Lombardo?

A two-year-old girl who died in 1920, embalmed using a technique so effective that her body remains remarkably lifelike, making her the catacombs' most famous and best-preserved occupant.

Why were people buried here?

What began as burial for the monastery's own friars became a sought-after status burial for the city's professional classes over the following centuries.