The Living Dead: Inside the Palermo Crypt [Hardcover]

Marco Lanza (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2001

69 color photographs. With text by Laura Facchi.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Of all the wonderful sights on view in Sicily, surely one of the most unusual and provocative is found in the hillside crypt above Palermo, the island's capital city. Within these vast corridors beneath a cappuccine church are thousands of niches holding mummified corpses. Because the ground was so rocky and resources scarce, it became fashionable over hundreds of years to place one's loved ones in among the cool, dry stone perches here. Tourists now visit the remains of a multitude of clerics, nobility, and families of local citizens dating from about the mid-16th century to the end of the practice around a century ago. The denizens of this awesome and mysterious place have been respectfully and beautifully photographed by the Florentine Lanza. Lanza makes art out of the slowly rotting figures, focusing on the detail of skull and bone and of the now-antique clothing that was stylish when these faithful were laid to rest. Facchi, a journalist and screenwriter who regularly contributes to Marie Claire and Il Dario della Settimana, adds her darkly imaginative narrative essay on the history of the customs and folklore surrounding this unusual celebration of death. With its large format, the book begs to be displayed, but beware, the images can be haunting (even gruesome) and as unforgettable as the place itself. For serious photography and history collections. David Nudo, New York
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

Between 1500 and 1800, the Cappuccini monks of Palermo devised a method of mummification that was so successful that, up to five hundred years later, the bodies of their dead are still astonishingly well preserved. The people they prepared for burial in the Chiesa dei Cappuccini were mostly from the higher levels of society and many are still dressed in their rich funeral clothes.

The images in this book enable us to take Palermo's history right back to the late Renaissance period, reconstructing the social and ethnic stratification of the city through the study of its dead. The accompanying text answers many questions that have intrigued archaeologists -- Who were these people? What kind of lives did they lead? Why were their bodies mummified? How was it done?

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Westzone (July 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1903391008
• ISBN-13: 978-1903391006
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #982,940 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have Book For The Serious Collector or Historian, March 8, 2004

By 

John Shrimpton "Paranormal Investigator - SIM... (Omaha, Nebraska) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Living Dead: Inside the Palermo Crypt (Hardcover)

What an incredible find with this book! Pictures are nothing short of amazing and the respect and dignity of the subjects is well preserved. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Palermo Crypts or is just interested in the general subject. You really can not go wrong with this book.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outre!, October 31, 2002

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Living Dead: Inside the Palermo Crypt (Hardcover)

I bought this book misunderstanding what it was. It is the creepiest, most haunting book I have ever seen. When I first opened the package and began looking, I felt terrible. . . like I was looking at people's most intimate secrets. I mean, these are dead people on display. Who wants to be looked at like that. I felt so rude. And yet. . . I could not discard the book. It is clearly also very moving, and is also a book of clear artistry. So, if you have a strong stomach, along with compassion for these people (especially the room of children dead for centuries!), look at this book. Otherwise, maybe best to not get. I give it 5 stars for artistry, but that doesn't equate a recommendation!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book..., October 1, 2010

By 

Michael C. O'Brien (Granada Hills, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Living Dead: Inside the Palermo Crypt (Hardcover)

Great reference photos, really well done. If you aren't squeamish about looking at dead things then you will find the beauty in these pictures. Great for artists and historians alike.