Palermo's Capuchin Catacombs: 1599 to 1920, €5

The Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo hold about 8,000¹ embalmed bodies laid out by sex, class and profession, and they open daily in two blocks, 9 am to 12:30 pm and 3 to 5:30 pm, for €5 (2026).

About 8,000 bodies, 1599 to 1920

The catacombs began in 1599¹ beneath the Capuchin friars' convent and hold about 8,000¹ embalmed bodies, arranged by sex, social class and profession. Embalming took eight to twelve months per body.

The 8,000¹ is the Comune di Palermo's figure. The operator's own site publishes no count, and popular sources go as low as 2,000, so treat the number as an order of magnitude from the city, not a census.

Either way, the number is the warning. You walk corridors lined with human remains for as long as the visit lasts. It is not a museum of objects, and it is worth deciding before the door whether that is for you and for whoever is with you.

Rosalia Lombardo, the last burial, 1920

The last burial, in 1920, was Rosalia Lombardo, a two-year-old girl in a glass case who has become the symbol of the place.

The operator confirms her story and the name of her embalmer, Alfredo Salafia. Her case is also a reminder that children are part of what you'll see.

Two blocks a day, €5

The operator opens every day from 9 am to 12:30 pm, last entry 12:10 pm, and from 3 to 5:30 pm, last entry 5:10 pm (2026). The ticket is €5.

Two official sources disagree on the hours. The Comune di Palermo lists 9 am to 5:30 pm with no break, the operator lists the split day. This page follows the operator, since it's the one that locks the gate.

The price is the other way round: €5 appears only on the Comune's page, because the operator's ticket and price pages return an error. Arrive by noon or after 3, and don't plan the visit for the lunch hours.

There is no step-free route

There is no accessible route for visitors with motor or visual disabilities, according to the site's own records.

That rules out wheelchairs, and it makes the visit hard for anyone who needs a guide by the arm. Ask at the entrance before buying if in doubt.

Not part of Palermo's UNESCO site

Palermo's UNESCO serial site, inscribed on July 3, 2015, has nine monuments, and the catacombs are not one of them.

Seven are in Palermo: the Palazzo Reale with the Palatine Chapel, the Zisa, San Giovanni degli Eremiti, the Martorana, San Cataldo, the Cathedral and the Ponte dell'Ammiraglio. The other two are the cathedrals of Cefalù and Monreale. Those are at Monreale, and the city at Palermo.

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