The Parish Church of Saint James Apostle in Torricella Peligna, which dates back to the XII century, was restored in the early 1990s. During the works a wooden sarcophagus was found and, inside it, a perfectly preserved mummified male body, possibly buried in the XVII century. As it was buried in a religious building, he might have been an eminent person, a nobleman or a merchant or perhaps a “balivo”, that is a governor of Middle Age and Renaissance towns with judicial and administrative powers. Anthropological studies carried out by the Laboratory of Anthropology of the Abruzzo Archaeological Superintendence – Chieti, have allowed to establish the gender, age at death and the height of one metre and 64 centimetres.

Such an unexpected finding is extremely important as it is a rare case of spontaneous, natural mummification, without any embalmer. The peculiar burial conditions also made the body dehydrate quickly after death; thus, the skeleton has been wholly preserved.

Polluting agents have been removed during restoration works, and other preservation works have been carried out by the operating Unit of Anthropology of the University “G. d’Annunzio” di Chieti – Pescara: the mummified body has been placed in a glass case, with protective atmosphere, in the Little Civic Museum of Torricella Peligna in the John Fante Media Library.

The discovery of this mysterious Mummy has contributed to deepen the studies on some biological and social characteristics, customs and traditions, not only of the wealthy people in Torricella Peligna during the Seventeenth Century.

[Credits | Text: Ottavio Di Renzo De Laurentis | Translation: Mirella Rapa | Voice and music: Studio Qreate | Photo: Laura Di Biase]