Deep beneath the sunny streets of Palermo, Sicily, the Capuchin Catacombs are home to over a thousand people, most of them still standing in their Sunday best. *Warning: this episode contains discussions of child death* Why did the residents of the catacombs want to be buried standing up? And how have their remains survived centuries? Joining Anthony today as a special guest co-host is Cat Irving, Human Remains Conservator at Surgeons’ Hall in Edinburgh, to take us back through this fascinating history. 0:00 Introduction 0:53 Welcome to After Dark: Introducing the Capuchin Catacombs 1:53 First-hand impressions of the underground chambers 3:48 The 16th-century origins of the Palermo Catacombs 7:13 Ghostly details: The shrinking of bodies and hanging clothes 9:37 How the discovery of a miracle shaped the site 12:20 Opening the catacombs to the public and the price list 13:51 The grim reality of mummification over terracotta pipes 17:15 Inside the mortuary: A conservator's perspective on decomposition 20:41 Mapping the catacombs: Division by class and gender 26:47 Brother Silvestro da Gubbio: The first interment 28:51 Francesco Tarallo: The Eternal Concierge 33:05 Antonino Prestigiacomo: Arsenic, mercury and glass eyes 38:51 Giovanni Paterniti: The American vice consul 39:34 Rosalia Lombardo: The heartbreaking story of the world's most beautiful mummy 43:54 Final reflections: Finding comfort and presence in studying death Edited by Anna Brant and Hannah Feodorov. Produced by Tomos Delargy. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick. After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal is a History Hit podcast. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. All music from Epidemic Sounds. #HistoryHitPodcast #AfterDark #Catacombs