Italy is unlikely to be the first place that comes to mind when you think of seeing mummies but there are actually several spooky spots throughout the country where you can see some mummies for yourself. So, if you are booking a villa in Italy and are in the market for some macabre but fascinating attractions, then read on and plan a visit to take these in...
1. Ötzi the Iceman in Bolzano
If you are considering a vacation rental in Trentino-Alto Adige, head to the city of Bolzano and you will get to meet a 5,000-year-old local named Ötzi the Iceman. With an entire museum dedicated just to him, he was found in 1991 along with his clothes and other items by two German tourists. It was first thought that he was a man who had died recently before it was discovered that he was thousands of years old and, in fact, Europe's oldest known natural human mummy. Providing an incredible insight into Chalcolithic Europeans, he has been studied intensively and 19 living genetic relatives haveeven been found. The museum provides a fascinating look at this ancestor and documents the pre-history and early history of the surrounding area.
2. The Mummies beneath the church of Santo Stefano
Those, meanwhile, who book a villa in Umbria can head to the church of Santo Stefano in Precetto. A gorgeous 16th century gem built over the remains of an earlier, medieval church, with lush Rococo interiors, it is worth visiting merely to admire its beauty. However, if you head to the cemetery crypt, you will also get to meet the Feretillo mummies in the Mummies Museum. Built by the Cybo-Malaspina family, the church boasts an extraordinary 18th century clock, a lovely rose window, sculptures, extraordinary objects, paintings and frescoes by Giuseppe Rosi and Pierino Cesarei, and more. When this lovely new church was built, the new crypt was also constructed and all of the deceased from the Borgo di Precetto were buried there until bodies were banned from being buried within city walls in the 19th century. At this time, bodies that had already been laid to rest were ordered to be exhumed and it was discovered that some had been mummified through a natural process of drying out due to the type of soil on the site and likely because of a fungus. Studied and a focus of much fascination since their discovery in the 19th century, it was decided to build a new museum to display and conserve the bodies in 1992 and it is now one of the most visited museums in Umbria.
3. The Mummies of the Mother church of San Nicolò di Bari in Gangi
Right in the historic centre of Gangi, you will find another fascinating church that also happens to have a crypt full of mummies. A must for those on vacation in Sicily, this 14th century gem, is famous for its Judgement Day painting by Giuseppe Salerno and sculptures by Filippo Quattrocchi, as well as some wonderful 18th century frescoes. However, despite the lush charms of the jewel-box interior of this cathedral, the draw for many is its crypt where the mummies of numerous priests and some lay people can be found. Called the, “fossa di parrini” (the priests' grave), these mummies date back to a custom of embalming priests between 1725 and 1872.
4. Egyptian mummies
There are also some Egyptian mummies to be discovered in Italy. If you have booked a villa in Rome and head to the Egyptian Museum in the Vatican Museums, then you will have a chance to see artifacts brought back to Italy by the Romans, including mummies. Similarly, there is actually a rather famous Eyptian museum featuring mummies in Turin that is a must for those on holiday in Piedmont.
So, if you are planning a stay in one of our Italy Villas, then you might also be able to spot a mummy...if you dare!