Julia Petta
Encyclopedia
Julia Buccola Petta was a housewife who became known following her death as The Italian Bride. She was the daughter of Filomena Buccola. She died at the age of 29 in 1921 while giving birth.
Following her death, Petta was buried at Mount Carmel Cemetery
in the Chicago, Illinois suburb of Hillside
. Petta was buried in her wedding dress. A photo of Petta in her wedding dress was placed on her monument, which also features a statue of her based on this photo. Soon after Petta's death, her mother began experiencing dreams in which Petta was telling her that she was still alive.
Six years after Petta's death, Filomena secured permission to have the grave opened and her daughter exhumed
. The coffin
was found to have decomposed, but when it was opened Petta's body was still intact - her body had not decayed at all. Her mother took a picture of Petta in her casket, which was placed on the monument and is still there to this day. Why Petta's body had not decayed following burial has never been explained. Some have attributed Petta's condition upon being exhumed to her being incorruptible
, while others have attributed the condition of her body to the type of soil found in the cemetery. In 1921 embalming chemicals
had already been around for decades, so with a proper embalming and the body placed in an air-sealed coffin the corpse's organ
s will break down at a very slow pace. Observations of non-decayed bodies that have been deceased for years, even decades, is not uncommon. The exhumations of Abraham Lincoln
, Solanus Casey
and Eva Perón
are a few of many famous examples of this.
Today Petta is among the more well known people buried at Mount Carmel, along with prior Bishop
s and Archbishop
s of the Archdiocese of Chicago, and organized crime figures such as Al Capone
.
Following her death, Petta was buried at Mount Carmel Cemetery
Mount Carmel Cemetery (Hillside)
Mount Carmel Cemetery is a Roman Catholic cemetery located in the Chicago suburb of Hillside, Illinois. Mount Carmel is an active cemetery, located within the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. The cemetery is located near the Eisenhower Expressway at Wolf and Roosevelt...
in the Chicago, Illinois suburb of Hillside
Hillside, Illinois
Hillside is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,155 at the 2000 census.One notable landmark in Hillside is the Mount Carmel Cemetery. On the grounds of the cemetery are the graves of a number of organized crime figures, such as Al Capone and Dion O'Bannion...
. Petta was buried in her wedding dress. A photo of Petta in her wedding dress was placed on her monument, which also features a statue of her based on this photo. Soon after Petta's death, her mother began experiencing dreams in which Petta was telling her that she was still alive.
Six years after Petta's death, Filomena secured permission to have the grave opened and her daughter exhumed
Exhumed
Exhumed may refer to:*Exhumation*Exhumed , a first-person shooter*Exhumed , a deathgrind band* Exhumed Films, a Philadelphia-based "organization* Exhumed river channel, a ridge of sandstone...
. The coffin
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
was found to have decomposed, but when it was opened Petta's body was still intact - her body had not decayed at all. Her mother took a picture of Petta in her casket, which was placed on the monument and is still there to this day. Why Petta's body had not decayed following burial has never been explained. Some have attributed Petta's condition upon being exhumed to her being incorruptible
Incorruptibility
Incorruptibility is a Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox belief that supernatural intervention allows some human bodies to avoid the normal process of decomposition after death as a sign of their holiness...
, while others have attributed the condition of her body to the type of soil found in the cemetery. In 1921 embalming chemicals
Embalming chemicals
Embalming chemicals are a variety of preservatives, sanitising and disinfectant agents and additives used in modern embalming to temporarily prevent decomposition and restore a natural appearance for viewing a body after death...
had already been around for decades, so with a proper embalming and the body placed in an air-sealed coffin the corpse's organ
Organ (anatomy)
In biology, an organ is a collection of tissues joined in structural unit to serve a common function. Usually there is a main tissue and sporadic tissues . The main tissue is the one that is unique for the specific organ. For example, main tissue in the heart is the myocardium, while sporadic are...
s will break down at a very slow pace. Observations of non-decayed bodies that have been deceased for years, even decades, is not uncommon. The exhumations of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
, Solanus Casey
Solanus Casey
Venerable Bernard Francis Casey was born in Oak Grove, Wisconsin. A Capuchin priest, Casey was known for his great faith, humility, and role as spiritual counselor and intercessor...
and Eva Perón
Eva Perón
María Eva Duarte de Perón was the second wife of President Juan Perón and served as the First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952. She is often referred to as simply Eva Perón, or by the affectionate Spanish language diminutive Evita.She was born in the village of Los Toldos in...
are a few of many famous examples of this.
Today Petta is among the more well known people buried at Mount Carmel, along with prior Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s and Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
s of the Archdiocese of Chicago, and organized crime figures such as Al Capone
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
.