Lloyd Thomas (DDE 764) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 36 text:

'59 tr 1? 4 zz' 1 4 Some saw the Cathedral at Monreale where restoration work was going on. This huge cathedral overlooking Palermo was built in record time by thousands of Moorish slaves .... Those of us who continued the tour visited the Utveggio Castle, and the beautiful resort city of Mondello Beach. The view from the Castle was a most beautiful panorama of the City of Palermo. Though the interior had been destroyed by the Germans it could not mar the splendor that this magnificent Castle once enjoyed Upon our return to the city wc turned our eyes to the night life of Palermo and a little re- laxation after an interesting but tiring day.

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Scif? Aftgr the long ride to and from Mom-eale, we persuaded our guide to take us to the Catacombs of Cappuccini. Here we saw thousands of bodies, ranging from high Church officials to the lowest of Peasants, some of which had been there for centuries. There was also the body of a child that had been embalmed forty-five years before and still looked today as it had at the moment of death. Unfortunately the man who had done the embalming of this particular body died himself before he had written the formula down so that the secret died with him and as yet has never been rediscovered. YVe left the Catacombs completely immersed in a sense of mys- tery and awe at the un usual sight we had just seen.

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L While at Palermo ComCarDiv 14 received an official visit on the Lloyd Thomas from a Lieutenant General in the Italian Army. . .