commentaire
Alfredo Salafia’s handwritten memoir and the embalming of Rosalia Lombardo: a commentary
Piombino-Mascali, Dario; Zink, Albert R.
Anthropologischer Anzeiger Volume 80 No. 1 (2023), p. 113 - 118
publié: Jan 18, 2023
publication en ligne: Sep 7, 2022
manuscrit accepté: Jul 5, 2022
révision final du manuscrit reçu: Jul 3, 2022
révision du manuscrit demandée: May 27, 2022
manuscrit reçu: Mar 19, 2022
DOI: 10.1127/anthranz/2022/1630
ArtNo. ESP140008001010, Prix: 29.00 €
Abstract
Alfredo Salafia, an Italian embalmer who was active in the early 20th century, treated a number of corpses with his own preservation method. Among them was the young Rosalia Lombardo, just shy of two years old at the time of her death, whose remarkable preservation has brought her significant attention. It is well documented that Salafia had concocted a formula for a highly advanced embalming fluid which is believed to have been used to preserve Lombardo. This is referenced in a book and in two unpublished documents, and was also traced through familial memories and stories within the Capuchin Brotherhood of Palermo, where three of those bodies embalmed by Salafia are kept in a world-renowned crypt. Salafia’s paternity of this specific preparation is further supported by some indirect evidence, which corresponds to what the embalmer described in his handwritten memoir. A recent article by Galassi and co-workers, however, attempted to debunk Salafia’s role, and questioned the results of previous research performed on this case. They suggest additional studies on Lombardo that are not only unnecessary, but would irreversibly damage the long-term conservation of the mummy. Our paper aims to demonstrate that their article is biased and built upon incorrect assumptions and interpretations, thus re-establishing the validity of the narrative shared up until now.
Mots-clefs
conservation • display • embalming • ethics • mummies