She Kept Her Husband’s Mummified Heart So It Could Be Placed In Her Own Coffin, Where She Was Laid To Rest For Over 350 Years
Several years ago, the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research discovered the well-preserved tomb of a mummified noblewoman at a burial site of the convent of the Jacobins in the city of Rennes, located in northwestern France. She had been lying in a lead coffin for more than 350 years.
Thanks to an inscription on a lead heart she was buried with, the archaeologists identified her as Louise de Quengo, wife of the noble Touissant Perrien. Her husband, the knight of Brefeillac, died in 1649.
She was at least 65-years-old when she passed. Much of her skin, hair, brain, and internal organs were still intact.
When she was interred, she was dressed as a nun, an outfit that consisted of a wool dress, a plain shirt of undyed twill wool, and leather-and-cork shoes. Her body was wrapped in a black cloak.
She was also holding a crucifix in her hands, suggesting that she must have adopted a monastic lifestyle after her husband died. Her outfit demonstrated her religious piety and her dedication to helping the poor.
There were five lead heart-shaped urns at the Jacobins convent, and Touissant Perrien’s heart was found in one of them.
At the time of Louise de Quengo’s death, it was customary to leave the vital organs of deceased family members to their loved ones or a religious institution.
She kept her husband’s heart after he died so she could have it placed in her coffin. Even after death, this burial method allowed her to show her affection for her husband in a sentimental way.
The other four urns contained the hearts of Catherine de Tournemine, Monsieur d’Artois, and the son of la Boessière, according to the inscriptions on the urns.
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The hearts had been removed from the bodies with a slice of the major blood vessels. Vegetable fibers and grains were packed in and around the hearts.
The mummy of Louise de Quengo was so remarkably preserved that the incisions made on her body after her death were still visible. Computed tomography scans revealed that her brain was decomposed and her heart was missing.
Her heart was also removed from her chest, while the rest of her organs were replaced. Her chest was roughly stitched back together.
In a virtual autopsy, the archaeological team could see the presence of kidney stones, which she must have suffered from before her death.
In addition, the team extracted DNA samples from her lungs to look for traces of tuberculosis, Streptococcus, and other pathogens that were common at the time.
It is unclear where Louise de Quengo’s heart was buried. Overall, the team excavated around 800 graves at the site, which provided insights into elite funerary practices in the 17th century.
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