The bones of famous castrato Gaspare Pacchierotti have been examined to reveal the procedure’s effect on the body.

Castrati were the musical superstars of their day. Unlike countertenors who sing in falsetto, these were male singers castrated before puberty to preserve their unbroken voice within the range of a soprano. They attracted legions of fans, including the social elite such as the aristocracy and royalty, and seized the attentions of composers, patrons and impresarios. Farinelli, one of the most famous castrati, met with Kings and Emperors and was personally headhunted by Handel. Another famous castrato, Gaspare Pacchierotti, performed at the inauguration of La Scala in 1778, visited Marie Antoinette in Paris and was later forced to take a break from his retirement to perform for Napoleon.

Given that the gruesome practice of castration is no longer considered ethically justifiable (for obvious reasons), scientific information on the long-term effects of the procedure on the human body is scarce. However, in 2013, Pacchierotti’s remains were exhumed to study how castration – and his career as an opera singer – affected his body. Farinelli’s remains have also been examined, but due to the level of decomposition are of...