Buried Alive in Mount Carmel
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Julia Buccola died in 1921 during childbirth, and legend has it that her spirit appears at her headstone wearing her wedding dress.
It is an Italian tradition that if a woman dies in childbirth she is considered a type of martyr. Since white is the color of martyr's Julia's mother, Filomena, wanted her buried in white, so they used her wedding dress as a butial gown. Her baby was buried with her in the same casket.
Julia's mother started having horrible dreams in which Julia told her she was still alive. The dreams continued for several years to the point that Filomena wanted to have her body exhumed. Six years after Julia's death, in 1927, Filomena's request was finally agreed to. To everyone's surprise the body had not decomposed at all. A picture was taken of her in the coffin which shows that there were no signs of decay. Even though the coffin has rotted Julia's body has stayed the same as it was the day she was laid to rest.
With money donated by friends and family they had the extraordinary statue that is at her grave today built.
Mount Carmel Cemetery is located in Hillside, Illinois just outside of Chicago. It is also the burial place of Al Capone, Dion O'Banion, and other Chicago mobsters.
