THESE ghoulish pH๏τographs show a 16th century Italian crypt that holds 8,000 corpses.

The Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo, Sicily, Italy on January 2019 contains around 1,252 mummies, but is open to the public.

Palermo’s Capuchin monastery outgrew its original cemetery in the 16th century and monks began to excavate crypts below it.

In 1599, the monks mummified a priest called Silvestro of Gubbio, and placed him into the catacombs.
The last burials were in the 1920s, but the catacombs are now a museum run by monks, allowing people to get face to face with the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ.

Curious tourists are banned from taking pictures as they wander around the underground tomb.

The practice of mummification is an ancient tradition favoured by those living in Sicily with the Catacombs a prime example.

Sicily is set to launch a research laboratory on mummification.

Throughout the tombs the rate of decomposition varies – some of the mummies still had teeth, hair and skin, while others were crumbling bones.

People who wanted to be laid to rest in the catacombs had to request a space before they died.

It was a sign of status to be on display and the bodies would stay there as long as the family paid.