Emanuela Orlandi case: the Vatican tries again to solve the mystery

The Vatican is about to make its last attempt to solve the mystery of the disappearance of an Italian teenager 36 years ago.

The first attempt, on July 11, exhumed two tombs, a revelation of which could contain the remains of Emanuela Orlandi.

But that only deepened the mystery, for even the bones of two princesses supposed to be there were missing.

On Saturday, the experts will examine two ossuaries – small rooms where the dead are buried – found during the first search.

Mrs Orlandi's family hopes that research at the Vatican's Teutonic Pontifical College will be the key to a mystery that has been troubling Italy since 1983.

What will happen Saturday?

The research is still on the college, where the first exhumations took place in the cemetery.

During this search, the two ossuaries were discovered under a hatch located in the ground of a neighboring building.

Forensic experts will examine all the bones found and will be able to date them in the space of only five hours – although the formal identification by the DNA would take much longer.

An expert named by the Orlandi family will be present.

It is believed that parents of the two German princesses – Sophie von Hohenlohe and Charlotte Federica of Mecklenburg, who died in the 19th century – were invited to attend the meeting but it was not known whether they would do it or not.

The Vatican believes that the bones of the princesses may have been displaced during works in the 1960s and 1970s.

What is the Teutonic Cemetery?

In the smallest state in the world, the Teutonic Cemetery is easy to miss.

The parcel of land, located on the original site of the Emperor Nero Circus, is hidden behind high walls in the shadow of St. Peter's Basilica.

The cemetery normally serves as a cemetery for German-speaking members of Catholic institutions. Tourists are not allowed along the path to the cemetery.

The closest you can get is a portal protected by a single Swiss guard.

What happened to Emanuela?

On June 22, 1983, Emanuela returned home after a flute lesson. She was seen at a bus stop in the center of Rome. Then she just disappeared. Nobody has seen her since.

Decades of speculation followed. Has she been kidnapped and killed? If so, where is his body?

Emanuela's family had to hunt countless mines and rumors.

"Many people tell me, give up, enjoy life, do not think about it anymore," his older brother Pietro told the BBC. "But I can not let go, I could not be at peace if it is not resolved."

The attention has always been drawn to the fact that Emanuela was the daughter of an employee of Vatican City.

Why focus moved to the graveyard

In March 2019, the Orlandi family received an anonymous letter.

He was showing an image of an angel over a grave in the Vatican Teutonic Cemetery.

Was it a clue to where Emanuela had been buried?

The family knew that she had to approach the Vatican. But he had no luck with his previous investigations.

The family asked the Vatican to open the tomb at the Teutonic cemetery. A court in the Vatican City then granted the request.