Catacombs of the Capuchins Palermo Italy cscs The Capuchins are an order of friars in the Catholic Church among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans The catacombs began to be used in the th century when the Capuchin monastery of Palermo ran out of space in its cemetery and began to excavate crypts beneath the monastery Originally the catacombs were only intended to be used to bury the dead friars but as it came to be regarded as a status symbol local notables began to be interred there as well and the catacombs were maintained by their donations The last burials took place in the s
