The catacombs beneath the Capuchin monastery in Palermo Italy

The crypts initially reserved for friars, being entombed there later became a status symbol. Families would request specific burial attire and even regular clothing changes. Bodies were kept in place as long as relatives made donations; if they stopped, the remains were shelved until payments resumed.
(Anything for a buck)

The first body mummified was Brother Silvestro in 1599. Bodies were dehydrated, sometimes washed with vinegar, and some were embalmed or sealed in glass.