There thanatopraxisfrom the Greek “thanatos” (death) and “praxis” (practice), is a set of aesthetic treatments and cures post-mortem used in Funerary field to preserve the bodies, delaying the decomposition process of the bodies of the deceased. This practice, usually far from the spotlight, has recently come to prominence thanks to a podcast by the Argentine singer Oriana Sabatiniwife of the Roma footballer Paulo Dybalawho has declared his passion for thanatopraxis, generating great attention on social media and in sports media. Let’s try to understand what is behind this particular story.
What is the Thanatopraxy Technique and How Does It Work?
There thanatopraxis it’s a treatment post-portem which aims to slow down the decomposition of cadavers by injecting chemical solutions into the body. This technique, which also includes a series of aesthetic and conservation treatments applied to the deceased before the funeral, allows the deceased to be preserved for longer periods, thus facilitating the preparing the body for the funeralespecially in the case of repatriations or postponed ceremonies.
Among the advantages of thanatopraxis there is also the possibility of giving the deceased a more serene and natural lookoffering comfort to family members in a difficult time. The bodies treated with this technique can be Store for 10 to 15 days before burial, remaining perfectly intact in any type of environment. Although it is a ancient technique (in line with even more complex practices such as mummification), was consolidated in Europe only in the last decades and it is slowly arriving in our country too; while in the United States it is practiced on almost all corpses.
The procedure is carried out by the so-called thanatoesthetist or thanatopractor, costs on average between 500 and 1500 euros approximately (depending on the type of treatment) and involves different stages. First, the body is cleaned and treated externally. Then, specific fluids are injected to replace body fluids, in order to prevent decomposition. Finally, an aesthetic treatment is performed to restore the deceased’s dignified appearance.
The Dybala case-Sabatini
In the last few hours, a piece of news has spread that has caught the attention of many, surprisingly connecting thanatopraxis with Paulo Dybala, Roma striker, and his partner Oriana Sabatini. The news, originally born as a curiosity, concerns the alleged “passion” of the couple for the world of thanatopraxis, which has generated a mix of amazement on social media.
In his podcast Where do we go when we dream?Oriana Sabatini, revealed her passion for thanatopraxis. As reported by the Spanish sports daily Brandthe Argentine singer shared a curious anecdote linked to this particular interest, telling how one evening, after receiving a call around 10pm in which the owner of the funeral home informed her of the imminent arrival of a corpse to take care of, her husband chose to accompany her to the morgue:
“Don’t worry, I’ll stay at the funeral home and take a tour,”
those were the words of the footballer.
Oriana has in fact acquired skills in preparing bodies for funerals, attending specific courses of thanatopraxis.
“Ever since I was a child, death has always fascinated me. I was very curious and decided to study thanatopraxis. I discovered this discipline thanks to a post on Instagram by the streamer Martín Cirio and I was struck by the fact that you can start a career in this field with a short apprenticeship, and it’s wonderful,”
he explained.
