By far Palermo's most bizarre attraction, but one of its most popular, is the Capuchin Abbey, known for its Catacombs. These underground passages were hewn in the volcanic rock after 1599 and used as burial places right up to 1881.
Inside, you'll be greeted by the macabre scene of about 8,000 mummified corpses, arranged by sex and status, lying in the passageways or hanging from the walls.
The clothes they wear may look newer, as until a few years ago the mummies were given regular changes of fresh clothes by their relatives.
The bodies were first laid in the colatoio, a small, tightly closed drying-room, and after eight months, they were washed in vinegar, dressed, and placed in the niches in the walls or in open coffins.
