Strolling through the Prati neighborhood, you can stumble upon a church built in a rich Neo-gothic style, which makes it similar to Milan’s Cathedral (well, to the miniature version of it!). It’s the church Sacro Cuore del Suffragio, well-known for its creepy museum “Museo delle anime del Purgatorio” (the museum of the souls of Purgatory). This museum collects relics, documents and photos of deceased people condemned to Purgatory who are trying to catch the attention of the living.
If you are wondering how they came up with this creepy idea, you should know it all started after a specific occurrence happened in this church in 1897 during a devastating fire. The local priest saw the image of a melancholic countenance in flames on the wall behind the altar and believed it was the face of a dead person condemned to Purgatory and trying to get in touch with the living. From that moment the priest began collecting objects and documents about similar facts, which you can admire in this quirky museum.
