THE MUMMIES OF FERENTILLO

( UMBRIA )

Ferentillo is a small, ancient village in Valnerina, close to the town of Terni (17 km), in the middle of the Italian boot. In the old side of the village there is the Church of Santo Stefano (XIII° century). In this Church there is only one function every year: in the Deads day. Indeed the Village wants to celebrate its deads and especially those who died in the XIX° Century and that now are exposed in the Church: they are natural mummies.

Like in Urbania the phenomenon is due to a particular mould that makes the corpses of the dead natural embalmed. Many years ago the people believed that the corpes were preserved because the land was taken to Ferentillo from the holy land of Jerusalem. The mummies were discovered after the St Cloud disposition of Napoleon that, for igienical reasons, prohibited the burials in the Churches and more in general inside the towns.

After the Saint Cloud disposition from Napoleon, that prohibited the burial inside the Churches and more in general close to inhabitated places, the cemetery of Santo Stefano had to be moved, the mummies came to light and Ferentillo became famous in the Central Italy. Late in 1800, a Mayor of Ferentillo offered the burial in the village to all the famous people of the area.

Like in Urbania also the mummies of Ferentillo have many stories to tell........

The Church of Santo Stefano

Above and below, two mummies of Chinese pilgrims that died on the route to Rome for a Jubileum in the XVIII Cent.

Mummies with clear traces of beard

Mummy with deformity to the mouth (below)

the lawyer that was stabbed to death (above)

the bell ringer that was kicked down from the bell tower, hit by the bell

the old, rich lady called Sor Aurelia

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