The discovery of the Salafia handwritten manuscript and formula. Chronological and biological considerations

Alfredo Salafia (1869-1933) was a famous embalmer from Palermo, Sicily. He created an embalming fluid, the «Perfection fluid», which was supposed to leave the corpse perfectly preserved in a «fresh state». Within the remit of the Human Embalming Project© (H.E.P.), we performed referenced historical research on Salafia’s American period. We further identified what appears to be an anomaly in the chronology of the discovery of the Sicilian embalmer’s handwritten memoirs. Until now it has been assumed that the formula was first revealed in 2009. However, Salafia’s unpublished manuscript had previously been described and reported by Professor Umberto Di Cristina (1927-2017) and his colleagues in their book La Dimora delle Anime, published in February 2007. Therefore, they should have the honour of being described as the first to reveal it. We further found that the direct association between the embalming of Rosalia Lombardo (1918-1920) and Alfredo Salafia made by several authors is without documentary and scientific evidence. Fourteen years after its discovery, Alfredo Salafia ́s handwritten memoirs are still published only in excerpts but await complete publication. When published, it may allow the scientific community to understand the chemical reactions involved in the preservation of the bodies in a «fresh state» and to replicate Salafia’s experiments in safe laboratory conditions. Recent photographs show that, despite being kept in a highly technological passive display case, the oxidation proceeds at a quick pace and that Rosalia’s face is progressively darkening. Therefore, a reassessment of Rosalia ́s body preservation and restoration is strongly desired in order to keep this beautiful mummy in her original state.

Baumjohann, K., Benecke, M. 2019. Insect Traces and the Mummies of Palermo- a Status Report, Entomologie heute, 31: 73-93.
Brenner, E. 2014. Human body preservation – old and new techniques, J. Anat., 224: 316-344.
Cenzi, I., Vannini, C. 2014. La Veglia Eterna. Catacombe dei Cappuccini di Palermo. Modena:#logosedizioni.
Corsani, V. 2003. Se è giovedì siamo in Olanda. Un musicista in tour tra Europa e Medioriente. Torino: EDT srl.
Di Cristina, A., Gaziano, A., Magrì, R. 2007. La Dimora delle Anime. I Cappuccini nella Val di Mazara e il Convento di Burgio (Agrigento). Palermo: Officina di Studi Medievali.
Farella, F.D. 1982. Cenni storici della Chiesa e delle Catacombe dei Cappuccini di Palermo. Palermo: Edizione Fiamma Serafica.
Johnson, E.C., Johnson, G.R., Williams-Johnson, M. 1993. The Preparation Arts. The Salafia Method. Alfredo Salafia’s embalming produced long-term success but how did he do it?, The American Funeral Director: 24-28.
Lanza, T. 2010. On Rosalia Lombardo’s cause of death and the method used by Alfredo Salafia to embalm her, J. Paleopathology, 22: 43-50.
Lanza, M., Facchi, L. 2001. The living dead: inside the Palermo crypt. London: Westzone Pub Ltd.
Musi, V.J. 2021. Mummies Around the World. Internet Edition:
Nerlich, A.G., Bianucci, R. 2020. Mummies in Crypts and Catacombs. In: D.H. Shin, R.
Bianucci (eds), The Handbook of Mummy Studies. Singapore: Springer.
Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office. Washington: Government Printing
Office, Volume CLXXVI, March 1912: 26.
Panzer, S., Gill-Frerking, H., Rosendahl, W., Zink, A.R., Piombino-Mascali, D. 2013.
Multidetector CT investigation of the mummy of Rosalia Lombardo (1918-1920),
Annals Anatomy, 195: 401-408.
Peers, A.M. 2000. The Catacombs. In Travel articles from Sicily in 2000. University of
Massachussets (Amherst). Internet Edition:
Piombino-Mascali, D. 2020. Lo spazio di un mattino, Storia di Rosalia Lombardo la bambina
che dorme da cento anni. Palermo: Dario Flaccovio Editore.
Piombino-Mascali, D. 2009. Il Maestro del Sonno Eterno. Palermo: La Zisa; Terza
edizione: 2012.
Piombino-Mascali, D., Johnson-Williams, M. 2009. Alfredo Salafia: Master Embalmer,
The American Funeral Director: 42-45.
Piombino-Mascali, D., Aufderheide, A.C., Johnson-Williams, M., Zink, A.R. 2009. The
Salafia method rediscovered, Virchows Arch., 454: 355-357.
Piombino-Mascali, D. 2019. Le catacombe dei Cappuccini. Guida storica-scientifica.
Palermo: Kalós Editore.
Quigley, C. 1998. Modern Mummies: The Preservation of the Human Body in the Twenthieth
Century. North Carolina: McFarland Publishing.
Registro degli atti di matrimonio, anno 1932, atto n. 731-P.II- S.A.-Vol. 621, Comune di
Palermo.
Registro degli atti di morte, anno 1933, atto n. 159, Vol. 860, Comune di Palermo. Samadelli, M., Zink, A.R., Roselli, G., Gabrielli, S., Tabandeh, S., Fernicola, V.C. 2019.
Development of passive controlled atmosphere display cases for the conservation of cultural assets, Journal of Cultural Heritage, 35: 145-153.Sidoti, M.T. 2010. Il maestro delle mummie. Centonove.
The Statue of Liberty- Ellis Island Foundation Incorporation, 2021.
Zink, A.R. 2016. Ötzi, Tutankhamon, Evita Perón: Cosa ci Rivelano le Mummie. Bologna:
Il Mulino.

The article is available online.