If you have found a luxury villa in Umbria or a luxury villa in nearby Tuscany and are planning an Autumn getaway in Italy to enjoy the fertile and lush landscape, pretty towns, and hearty cuisine of the region of Umbria, then you might also be looking for something a little spookier to add to your itinerary as October unfolds ahead of us and Hallowe’en approaches. Italy, as one might imagine of a place with such a long and vibrant history and so rich in well-preserved historic towns, castles, palaces, churches, and other architectural gems, is full of tales of ghosts, goblins, ghouls, witches, demons, and more. There are plenty of supposedly haunted spots to visit, places where witch trials took place or deals with the devil are said to have gone down, and sites of famous superstitious traditions. However, if you are thinking of heading to explore Umbria and are in search of somewhere where you’re guaranteed to see something spooky this Hallowe’en, then look no further than the crypt beneath the Chiesa di Santo Stefano, or Church of St. Stephen, in Ferentillo.
The Church of St. Stephen in Ferentillo is home to the Museum of the Mummies. These "mummies" are actually a natural phenomenon that resulted from the type of microorganisms characterising the soil of the area and the airy and well-ventilated space of the crypt underneath the 15th century church acting as a perfect combination for preserving the bodies contained within and turning them into mummies. Said mummies were then discovered when a Napoleonic edict ordered all corpses interred within churches were to be exhumed. Upon opening up the crypt, they discovered mummies with preserved clothing, hair, beards, and teeth. In their midst were a range of 24 mummies from various time periods, with some dating as far back as 400 or 500 years ago, with a Napoleonic soldier, a murderer, a murder victim, a mother and child, two birds, the hunchback Severino, and two Chinese lovers who, rather unfortunately, had died tragically of cholera during their honeymoon travels in Italy.
Once the crypt was opened, however, the perfect conditions for the preservation of its contents were disrupted and the incredibly intact bodies began to quickly decay. In order to prevent further deterioration, the crypt was quickly turned into a museum with special shrines and cases to preserve the mummies and other obscure finds inside. The space has long since been opened to the public and is an intriguing and unique museum that is home to those aforementioned 24 mummies and 2 mummified birds, as well as 270 skulls and an ossuary of skulls and reconstructed animal skeletons that lines the back wall. If you are interested in the more macabre and obscure attractions that one can find when travelling and you have found a vacation rental in Umbria, this is definitely a must-see, especially if you are planning your trip in the next few weeks or are looking to get away over mid-term break. Plan your spooky mid-term break getaway in Italy today and pencil a visit to the Museum of the Mummies today!
The Museum of the Mummies is located under the Church of Santo Stefano, on via della Rocca in Ferentillo.
Contact:
+39 335 654 3008
info@mummiediferentillo.it
Opening Hours (with last entrance about 15 minutes before closing each day):
April - September, 10:00 - 13:00 / 15:00 - 19:30
October 10:00 - 13:00 / 15:00 - 18:00
November - February 10:00 - 13:00 / 15:00 - 17:00
March 10:00 - 13:00 / 15:00 - 18:00
Tickets:
Standard ticket €3.00
Reduced tickets cost €2.50 per person for groups with more of 15 people and €2.00 per person for schools that are planning on visiting the museum.
Once the crypt was opened, however, the perfect conditions for the preservation of its contents were disrupted and the incredibly intact bodies began to quickly decay. In order to prevent further deterioration, the crypt was quickly turned into a museum with special shrines and cases to preserve the mummies and other obscure finds inside. The space has long since been opened to the public and is an intriguing and unique museum that is home to those aforementioned 24 mummies and 2 mummified birds, as well as 270 skulls and an ossuary of skulls and reconstructed animal skeletons that lines the back wall. If you are interested in the more macabre and obscure attractions that one can find when travelling and you have found a vacation rental in Umbria, this is definitely a must-see, especially if you are planning your trip in the next few weeks or are looking to get away over mid-term break. Plan your spooky mid-term break getaway in Italy today and pencil a visit to the Museum of the Mummies today!
The Museum of the Mummies is located under the Church of Santo Stefano, on via della Rocca in Ferentillo.
Contact:
+39 335 654 3008
info@mummiediferentillo.it
Opening Hours (with last entrance about 15 minutes before closing each day):
April - September, 10:00 - 13:00 / 15:00 - 19:30
October 10:00 - 13:00 / 15:00 - 18:00
November - February 10:00 - 13:00 / 15:00 - 17:00
March 10:00 - 13:00 / 15:00 - 18:00
Tickets:
Standard ticket €3.00
Reduced tickets cost €2.50 per person for groups with more of 15 people and €2.00 per person for schools that are planning on visiting the museum.
