When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Palermo Sicily Capuchin Catacombs Mummies Macabre Postcard 1912Description:
A remarkable and rather macabre early postcard showing the famousCapuchin Catacombs of Palermo (Catacombe dei Cappuccini)in Sicily, Italy. Postmarked October 22, 1912, this atmospheric photographic view depicts a group of mummified human remains displayed upright in their burial niches, dressed in traditional garments and head coverings. An extraordinary glimpse into the burial customs and religious culture of historic Sicily.
The image shows at least five remarkably preserved skeletal figures, several wearing distinctive caps and long robes, with identification tags attached to their clothing. Their exposed, desiccated faces, folded hands, and deteriorating garments are captured in considerable detail, while additional hanging clothing and the dark recesses of the underground cemetery create a particularly haunting composition. The caption reads“PALERMO – le Catacombe.”
The Palermo Capuchin Catacombs originated in the late 16th century as the burial place of the Capuchin friars. Over the following centuries, they became a celebrated underground cemetery containing thousands of preserved bodies, including members of the clergy, prominent citizens, professionals, and families. The deceased were often dressed in their finest clothing or religious vestments and arranged along corridors according to social standing, profession, or religious affiliation. The catacombs became an extraordinary attraction for European travelers during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
An appealing earlyscalloped-edge postcardwith sepia-toned photographic imagery and printed reference number20881. The reverse bears an Italian 10-centesimi red King Victor Emmanuel III stamp, tied by a boldPalermo railway-related circular postmark dated October 22, 1912.
Addressed toMademoiselle A. Brignaschi, 64 Rue Sala, Lyon, France. The handwritten French message is particularly interesting, describing a charming stay in Naples thanks to Neapolitan friends, followed by a more eventful visit to Sicily because of flooding. The writer describes the journey as picturesque and full of unexpected experiences, adding a personal travel-history connection to this unusual postcard.
An exceptionally evocative subject for collectors of macabre photography, memento mori, mummies, historic burial customs, religious history, Sicilian travel, and unusual early European postcards. The combination of the dramatic catacomb scene, period correspondence, and clearly dated Italian postal usage makes this a fascinating surviving souvenir of pre-World War I European travel.
Condition:
VG.
Keywords:
Palermo Sicily, Catacombe dei Cappuccini, Capuchin Catacombs, Palermo mummies, mummified bodies, human remains, macabre postcard, memento mori, post mortem, ossuary, crypt, burial customs, Catholic monks, religious history, antique cemetery, Italian postcard, scalloped edge, 1912 postmark, Palermo Ferrovia, Lyon France, European travel, vintage horror, unusual photography.
I am selling my own personal collection of unique postcards, postal history, and ephemera.
Smoke-free and dry-humidity household.
Everything is guaranteed as described.I need to downsize my collections as I am moving overseas for personal reasons.
I will combine shipping costs with other lots.
Many more postcards and items are coming.
