Webinar "Heritage and cultural tourism for Historic Cemeteries: an international Teaching Project"

You are invited to join the webinar on 30 March 2023, at 5 p.m.

About the webinar

The webinar entitled "Heritage and cultural tourism for Historic Cemeteries: an international Teaching Project" is being organised within the framework of the Third Mission project "Whisper: rediscovering cemeteries as cultural sites of the territory" (in Italian "Sottovoce: riscoprire i cimiteri come siti culturali del territorio”) by the University of Turin - Department of Humanistic Studies. You can find the flyer (in Italian) HERE.

The discussion will be based on the experiences of the participants in the first year of the Teaching Project on the theme of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe. Hopefully, this will also be an opportunity to enrich the project with new perspectives for the future.

How to participate?

The webinar will take place on 30 March 2023, at 5 p.m., and you can join it by following this link: https://unito.webex.com/unito/j.php?MTID=m51cb6057b67eb3377336e96d36a2a0be.

It will be possible to participate in the discussion speaking English.

AGM 2023: Accommodation in Mantua

Accommodation options for the Annual General Meeting and Conference 2023, taking place in Mantua, Italy, from 21 to 23 September.

Make your reservation

AGM participants will have discounted prices in two hotels in Mantua - the Hotel dei Gonzaga and Ca' Uberti Palace.

Those interested can book their room via email by indicating in the request:

• "Convegno AGM - ASCE" (AGM - ASCE Conference),
• the type of room,
• the number of occupants,
• the dates.

Room types and prices for each hotel can be found HERE.

IMPORTANT: The discounted prices are valid only for reservations made from Monday 20 March to Sunday 30 April 2023!

Hotel dei gonzaga

Piazza Sordello 52, 46100 Mantua
Tel: (+39) 0376 321533
Email: reception3@mantegnahotels.com

Ca' Uberti Palace

Piazza Sordello 13, 46100 Mantua
Tel: (+39) 0376 1410778
Email: reception2@mantegnahotels.com

It is not necessary to book a room in one of the two listed hotels. You can also use booking apps to find some other accommodation options that suit you better.

Participation in an international workshop

In 2022, European Cemeteries Route participated in an international workshop entitled "Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe: Cultural Heritage, Landscape and Tourism".

About the workshop

The Teaching Project inaugurated with the workshop entitled “Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe: Cultural Heritage, Landscape and Tourism” is based within a consolidated international network of contacts acquired with Italian and foreign universities as part of the scientific and teaching activities of the University Network for Cultural Routes Studies under the patronage of the European Institute of Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe.

The workshop took place between July and October 2022 with the aim to address, through a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary perspective, the theme of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, which in their specificity represent a crucial node in the active interpretation of cultural heritage and are strategic tools for guiding processes of territorial and landscape valorization. The activities also involved the collaboration of lecturers from other universities and from numerous national and international institutions and associations, as well as public administrations.

The workshop lasted a total of 75 hours and was organized in three main modules: lectures, site visits days, and project activities.

European Cemeteries Route at the workshop

Manager of European Cemeteries Route, Mr Dušan Vrban, gave a presentation at the workshop about the added value of stories in managing cultural tourism on the example of cemeteries and European Cemeteries Route.

He also highlighted the different marketing approaches that are being implemented by European Cemeteries Route in that context and can be applied in various fields.

The topic of the presentation is also elaborated in his article in the workshop's publication that you can download below.

Online publication

The outcomes of this successful international workshop are presented in an online publication which is available for download at this LINK.

The publication intends to summarise what matured during the opening experience of the Teaching Project, collecting some reflections of the lecturers and invited guests who have offered their contribution regarding the seminar days, together with the outcome of the students’ final projects.

The volume is therefore structured into three main parts: short essays, collects a photo diary of site visits days, and students’ final project proposals. 

Development of the project in the future

The workshop represented the first event of a growing teaching project that intends to become a summer school, held on an annual or biennial basis, with the involvement of other university members of the network and open to international students.

*Source: Introduction text from the workshop publication by Silvia Beltramo, www.academia.edu 

Restoration of Maciachini’s family tomb

On April 2, 2023, the official unveiling of the restored Maciachini’s family tomb will take place at the Milan Monumental Cemetery in Italy.

Carlo Maciachini (1818 - 1899)

The architect Carlo Maciachini was born on April 2, 1818, in Induno Olona and died on June 10, 1899, in Varese. He studied Architecture and Ornamentation at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan. 

His first major work as an architect was the construction of the Serbian-Orthodox Church of San Spiridione in Trieste. Then, in 1863, the international competition launched for building a bigger cemetery in Milan chose his proposal for the design of the new Milan Monumental Cemetery.

Maciachini is universally acclaimed by historians and academics as his eclectic style is a prelude of modern architecture, even if it does not miss tradition.

Restoration of Maciachini’s family tomb

Maciachini’s family tomb is located between two arches in Section A-B of the West Lower Gallery at the Milan Monumental Cemetery and is fully neglected. The association Amici del Monumentale di Milano was established in 2013 with the purpose of safeguarding, perpetuating, enhancing, and promoting the history, art, and cultural heritage of this important cemetery. Considering the great symbolic, historic, and artistic importance of this tomb, the association decided to finance and promote its restoration.

The restoration project has the patronage of the Municipality of Milan, Induno Olona, the Chamber of Architects, City Planners, Landscape-Architects and Curators of the Province of Milan. Pending is the patronage of the Brera Academy of Fine Arts.

During the restoration works, students of the art schools of Milan and province as well as members of the Italian Agency for the Deaf will have a chance to listen to the restorers explaining the various stages of their work, materials and techniques employed.

Amici del Monumentale is also a member of ASCE and FIDAM (Italian Federation of the Friends of Museum). The association has already financed three remarkable restorations: Ave Maria by Giulio Branca, Ecce Puer by Medardo Rosso and The Guardian Angel by Luigi Buzzi Giberto.

Unveiling of the restored tomb (program)

The official unveiling of Maciachini’s restored tomb will take place on April 2, 2023, on Maciachini's 205th birth anniversary, at the Milan Monumental Cemetery.

Conference

At 9.30 am, there will be a conference on the topic "Maciachini, an eclectic positivist", with the participation of prestigious speakers Ornella Selvafolta (architectureal historian) and Sergio Rebora (art historian and history and art curator of the Monumentale). The two restorers, Matteo Pelucchi and Maria Facchinetti, will also participate and will report about the restoration process, respectively for the stone elements and metal parts.

All visitors will receive a brochure "Account of a restoration work" illustrating the various restoration stages.

Musical interlude

At 10.30 am, there will be a musical interlude with "La Banda d'Affori".

Unveiling ceremony

At 11.00 am, the unveiling ceremony will take place, attended by the Councillor Gaia Romani and Marco Cavallin, mayor of Induno Olona, Maciachini's birthplace. A guided walk to the chapels and monuments executed by Maciachini will take place soon after the ceremony.

You can find the official invitation (in Italian) HERE.

ASCE president at a seminar in Naples

On 14 March 2023, ASCE president, Mrs Lidija Pliberšek, will attend an international seminar at the University of Naples in Italy.

About the seminar

The international seminar entitled “Rethinking lastscapes Perspective. Debate and Exchange” is one of the activities organized as part of the research conducted by the Department of Architecture of the University of Naples Federico II in Italy.

The research investigates the burial spaces in the contemporary city to identify, in relation to the changes brought about by new burial techniques, the need to save land in the changed urban, social, cultural and economic conditions, and the new possible roles and planning strategies for these places of memory that urgently need to be rethought today.

The seminar is intended to compare multiple points of view on the subject by calling to debate Italian and foreign experts in order to identify possible futures for these parts of the city.

Presentation of ASCE

ASCE president, Mrs Lidija Pliberšek, will attend the seminar as a guest speaker with a presentation on the meaning, mission, and development of the Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe.

Exhibition at the museum PAN

The seminar will be accompanied by an exhibition at the museum PAN, Palazzo delle Arti di Napoli, which will be open to the public for free until 14 March, and displays the work made on Poggioreale, the complex and challenging Neapolitan cemetery system, and on other international case studies that have been investigated in the context of the research.

Photos of the seminar

Main photo source: www.unsplash.com

New perinatal mourning space at Cemetery of San Froilán

A new perinatal mourning space called the Garden of Lullabies was inaugurated at the Cemetery of San Froilán in Lugo, Spain.

The Garden of Lullabies

The Municipal Cemetery of San Froilán has a new space dedicated to reflection and remembrance, in this case to perinatal mourning, that sphere of mourning that is so unknown and therefore so little attended.

It is a new acquisition, which is part of the Living Memory Project, that has guided our steps in recent years, to deepen the help and emotional support to families and mourners who come to our cemetery.

Perinatal grief, caused by pregnancy loss or that which occurred during the perinatal period, is marked by the simultaneity of antagonistic moments of the life cycle, life and death, which contributes to a mismatch of the emotional body and the confluence of conflicting feelings. The illusion of a new life suddenly turns into an irreparable loss. The pain and grief are mixed with anger, rage, guilt, and feelings of negativity. Then all that remains is loneliness in the transit of mourning, in which depression, anxiety, sleep disorders and other imbalances appear.

This mourning space, called "Xardín dos Arrolos" (Garden of Lullabies), is meant to help grieving families in this transition, and be an environment where loneliness turns into solidarity. A place to share experiences and to remember. A starting point to serenely face a future full of hope, where every corner will have a positive meaning.

Exhibition about perinatal grief

In this context, an informative Exhibition about perinatal grief has been prepared by the Department of Participation and Services for the neighborhood in collaboration with the Official College of Nursing of Lugo, Official College of Nursing of Alicante, Nursing Academy of Galicia, as well as other entities and citizen work groups that have been created in this environment.

Stories of the great women of Imola

On 11 March 2023, a guided tour will take place at Piratello Cemetery in Italy, dedicated to the great women of Imola.

A.N.P.I-IMOLA - C.I.D.R.A and Ass. Perledonne organise a guided tour at the Piratello Monumental Cemetery to tell the stories of Imola’s Great women - important figures in local and Italian history.

The event already took place on 4 March and will now be repeated on 11 March 2023, at 10.00am. Meeting place is at the “porticato basilica di Piratello” west side (towards Bologna).

The tour will be guided by:

• Marco Pelliconi, for the biographies
• Daniela Martelli, for the architectural heritage

Free attendance upon reservation on the email imola@anpi.it and by phone 0542-23131 or 3331229152.

A voluntary donation to the anti-violence center is welcome.

The guided tour will be carried out in group of a maximum of 25 people.

ASCE Conference 2023: Cemeteries of the Future

This year's Conference will take place on Friday, 22 September, focusing on the theme "Cemeteries of the Future".

Challenges of cemetery management

Even within the more general framework of ongoing climate change, the highly topical issues of environmental sustainability, decreased land consumption, and energy conservation are already having an ongoing impact on the current state of cemeteries throughout Europe that will affect their near future.

Consequently, there are many challenges awaiting cemetery managers. Indeed, companies and public or private entities are being called upon not only to manage in new ways but also to offer their essential services by making choices that increasingly protect the environment, limit land consumption, and work toward generally reducing energy consumption (e.g., using alternative materials for coffins).

Added to this are those recent social changes brought about by various factors—not the least of which is the global economic crisis—that have affected changes in burial practices as well, with the well-recognized increase in cremations, in addition to the emergence of alternative “burial” methods (e.g., scattering ashes, memorial woods).

Cemeteries of the future

How can the cemeteries of today and tomorrow be transformed to meet the challenges mentioned above? How might these challenges affect not just aspects of funeral management but also our ways of developing, promoting, and reporting on cemeteries?

A cemetery is a location dedicated to the memory of the deceased. It may also include solutions made possible by computerized systems and technology (recounting people’s lives, implementing a network for those who do not want to or cannot go physically to the cemetery).

Can cemeteries become new spaces for sharing or support in dealing with bereavement, or as places where people can also just be, looking after themselves by tending spaces, including green spaces, that perhaps result from repurposing unused areas?

Answering these questions and addressing these challenges will require involving diverse professionals, from managers to architects, from anthropologists to landscapers, and from cultural enhancement and communication specialists to engineers.

Call for papers

A call for papers will be released in the following weeks with all the details about the proposal requirements and submission deadlines.

AGM 2023: Location and program

The draft program of the Annual General Meeting and Conference 2023, taking place from 21 to 23 September in Mantua, Italy.

Dates and locations

This year's AGM will take place on Thursday, 21 September 2023, in the TEA headquarters (Via Giuseppe Taliercio 3, 46100 Mantua, Italy) and it is intended for ASCE members only.

The Conference will take place on Friday, 22 September 2023, in the MaMu Mantova Multicentre (Largo di Porta Pradella 1b, 46100 Mantua, Italy).

AGM and Conference program

Program presented is a draft version.

You can click on this link (iCal) to add the program to your personal calendar.

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WDEC 2023: Cemeteries for health and wellbeing

This year, the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries celebrates the life-enhancing properties of the cities of the dead.

People think cemeteries are for the deceased, but they are for the living too. Connecting people with cemeteries can improve their wellbeing, mental health and quality of life. And therefore, this year, the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries, taking place from 26 May to 4 June, will celebrate the life-enhancing properties of the cities of the dead.

Participating cemeteries are invited to come up with activities which enable people to: 

Connect

• Build togetherness through emotional responses to shared experiences.
• Share knowledge, reminiscences and stories using community events to break down barriers and learn from others.
• Connect through food with a memory café.
• Create opportunities for people to collaborate, regardless of who they are.

Be Active

• Spend time learning about nature.
• Go on a health walk with family, friends, neighbours… or strangers.

Take Notice

• Spend some time being still and quiet, experiencing the cemetery environment in all its tranquillity with no mobile phones.
• Go for a walk in the natural space, look, listen, smell and touch. Wander and become enchanted. Switch off and take it slow.
• Seek out a magical moment of personal discovery

Keep Learning

• Encourage creativity: make something to take home as a tangible memory.
• Host learning activities for schools, families, singletons and older people… everybody.

Give

• Volunteer with a cemetery friends group.

Share your activities

We invite you to send us the programs, photos and other materials of your planned activities during WDEC 2023 to the email admin@significantcemeteries.org. We will be happy to publish them on the ASCE website and social networks.

The first regional law in Italy to promote the recognition and enhancement of historical cemeteries

On 15 December 2022, Regione Emilia-Romagna, Italy, approved the law enhancing regional cemeteries and expanding user gratification. The new law provides for everything from multimedia productions to tourist routes and funding for restoration and conservation projects, cataloging, exhibitions, and programs.

The monumental cemetery of the Certosa in Bologna and those in Ferrara and San Cataldo in Modena, plus the Villetta in Parma, accommodate simple tombstones, grandiose chapels, and absolute masterpieces. This long list has about eighty culturally “significant” cemetery sites in Emilia-Romagna, which can rely on an additional tool beginning today.

The law approved by the Legislative Assembly was put forward by the Regional Council for the Recognition and Enhancement of Monumental and Historical Cemeteries. The goal, in short, is to ensure the enhancement, preservation, and promotion of these assets, encouraging their use by citizens.

Mauro Felicori, the regional councilor for Culture and Landscape, stated, “Through this law, the first of its kind in Italy, the Region intends to recognize significant cemeteries as elements of the regional cultural heritage to be safeguarded and enhanced, as a tool for the cohesion and cultural growth of communities and all visitors. Also, the law will support a shared path through which a series of public and private players in the area can work to expand the enjoyment of this part of our regional cultural heritage, going beyond memory while simultaneously placing it within a European-wide perspective.”

Under the new law, membership in the “Monumental and Historical Cemeteries in Emilia-Romagna” network will provide the structures with national and international visibility through multimedia productions made by the Emilia-Romagna Region’s Cultural Heritage sector (publications and a website on significant cemeteries), as well as all communication materials distributed by the Region itself. They will also be included in a unique cultural tourism route marked with signposts and a logo.

Above all, Emilia-Romagna’s “significant” cemeteries will be able to take advantage of regional funding for restoration and preservation projects of the sites’ architectural, decorative, and monumental structures. Furthermore, the enhancement projects will consolidate knowledge of the cemetery site, its relations with the community, and historical-artistic emergencies.

Specifically, heritage cataloging and study activities, exhibitions and cultural programs, digital and multimedia projects, intercultural inclusion, residential projects for artists and researchers, school visits, and historical and cultural education will be eligible for funding. Lastly, staff involved in managing and enhancing Emilia-Romagna’s monumental cemeteries will have access to training courses.

The text of the law (in Italian) is available here: https://bur.regione.emilia-romagna.it/dettaglio-bollettino?b=7a44412f02cc42438c2acabc26a38edb.

AGM 2023: Save the date

This year's AGM and Conference will take place from 21 to 23 September 2023 in Mantua, Italy.

Each year, the Annual General Meeting attracts over 100 cemetery academics, artists, and professionals from all over Europe. We generate a lot of public attention and through the conference help expose important topics from modern cemetery's management. With this being said, we are glad to announce that the Steering Committee of ASCE decided on the date and location of the Annual General Meeting and Conference 2023.

This year's AGM and Conference will take place from 21 to 23 September 2022 in Mantua, Italy.

A call for papers, as well as all the details about the event program, accommodation, and other logistics, will be released in the following weeks.

We look forward to seeing you in September at the AGM 2023.

ASCE presidency

Photo source: Pixabay

Feriköy Protestant Cemetery celebrates its acceptance into ASCE

The event took place on December 8, 2022, in the cemetery chapel.

About the event

On December 8, 2022, celebration of the official recognition of the Feriköy Protestant Cemetery as a member of ASCE took place in the cemetery chapel.

Feriköy Protestant Cemetery Initiative members Brian Johnson and Richard Wittmann presented the cemetery's ASCE membership certificate to the president of the governing board, Kirsten Thompson, U.S. Consulate, Istanbul. This was followed by a flute solo by Johannes Regenbrecht and a singing performance by the Members of the German High School choral group. The event ended with a small reception and cake cutting in front of the chapel.

The celebration was attended by the German, Swedish, Hungarian, Swiss, Dutch, UK, and US diplomatic corps; the Feriköy Protestant Cemetery Initiative; the German High School; and Istanbul’s Robert College.

A short video of the event is available HERE and the Publication of the Feriköy Protestant Cemetery Initiative HERE.

Photos:

*Photos by Andrea Selimoğlu

Final event of the FAB Routes project

On November 29, 2022, the final event of the project "FAB Routes: Digital Skills to Promote EU Cultural Routes" will be held in the city of Forlì, Italy.

Invitation to the event

On behalf of the ATRIUM route of the Council of Europe we would like to inform you that on November 29, 2022, from 9.30 to 12.30, the final event of the FAB Routes project will be held in the Hall of Constellations ("Sala delle Costellazioni") in the former aeronautical college, today Morgagni Classical High School ("Liceo Classico Morgagni") in Viale Roma 2, Forlì, Italy. 

The event will include the inauguration of the Council of Europe Routes exhibition and the presentation of the project results. A guided tour to the dissonant heritage present in the city centre of Forlì is also scheduled. 

About the FAB Routes project

"FAB Routes: Digital Skills to Promote EU Cultural Routes" is a KA202 - Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training project, co-funded by the Erasmus + programme under the Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices call.

The general objective of the project is to design a new training methodology and educational module aimed at fostering and enriching the knowledge and transversal competences of the staff members and operators of the EU Cultural Routes (CRs) recognized by the Council of Europe, in order to improve CRs management and promotion in the field of sustainable and cultural tourism.

You can find more about the project HERE.

150 years of Kozala Cemetery

1872 is the year when the Kozala Cemetery in Rijeka (Croatia) has become a communal cemetery of public interest.

The history of Rijeka, a city that flows, lives, and always rises again, is made up of our lives, efforts and efforts of our predecessors.

They are gone, but they are still here, ours. Lives lining up, one after the other through generations: births and deaths. And they became part of our lives, part of our city.

Kozala and Trsat cemeteries, as well as other Rijeka cemeteries, are in the heart of the city of Rijeka, its living part, taking over the role of parks, promenades, and open-air museums.

150 years ago, on January 1, 1872, information about a burial at the Kozala Cemetery was entered in the Book of Burials. That first entry is the official beginning of the Kozala Cemetery as a communal cemetery of public interest.

From then until today, under the cypress trees of Kozala, an entire city rests. 115 thousand deceased souls of different nationalities and religions.

Rijeka's multiculturalism, national and religious tolerance is felt at every step through the soothing alleys and lawns of its cemeteries.

Funeral arrangements for minorities and migrants

Short presentation of the project "Cemeteries and Crematoria as public spaces of belonging in Europe: a study of migrant and minority cultural inclusion, exclusion and integration".

About the research

This HERA-funded CeMi project has researched the issue of cemeteries and crematoria not being inclusive enough regarding minorities and migrants in a modern multicultural Europe. The aim was to find possible solutions for this situation and present lessons for policy makers, politicians, and stakeholders at all levels, that will help to build more inclusive and heritage-sensitive communities.

The study was carried out on the example of 6 European countries: Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, and Sweden but it could certainly be applied to many other countries in Europe and the world.

You can find out more about the project at this LINK.

Presentation of the results

A public presentation of the study will be held on November 17, 2022, from 1.00 to 2.30, at the Netherlands House for Education and Research (NETH-ER), 22, rue d'Arlon, 1050 Brussels.

The presentation will include the final report on funeral arrangements for minorities and migrants in the aforementioned countries as well as some recommendations for future improvements.

The individual articles are available HERE.

The number of places at the presentation is limited so registration is required.

Animation video about this topic

Researchers worked with animator Stacy Bias to provide an overview of different religious and secular practices in cemeteries and crematoria. The animation video seeks to highlight that the enablement of different ritual and spatial requirements is important for the provision of inclusive public cemeteries and crematoria.

*The cover image is symbolic. Source: Pixabay

Success of the meeting "Mirogoj: challenges of heritage preservation"

The event that took place on October 27, 2022, received many positive responses and organisers would like to thank everyone involved for their participation.

About the experts meeting

On Thursday, October 27, 2022, a live-streamed experts meeting entitled "Mirogoj: challenges of heritage preservation" took place as one of the project activities within the framework of the long-term efforts of the gathered collaborators in finding solutions for the challenges of the daily functioning of the Monumental Cemetery Mirogoj, the upcoming reconstruction of the cemetery after the earthquake in 2020, and in relation to the potential of Mirogoj as a tourist-heritage destination. 

Among the speakers at the event was also ASCE president, Mrs Lidija Pliberšek.

During the meeting, the live broadcast was followed by about 110 viewers, and the current figure of over 200 views refers to subsequent access to the recording available for viewing at this LINK. 

Thanks to the participants

The organisers of the event thank the participants with the following words:

"We would like to thank you all for your participation in the expert meeting dedicated to Mirogoj, as well as for your efforts in preparing individual presentations. Positive reactions have not been absent and are still not abating, which is primarily due to your valuable professional and practical contributions in understanding the various dimensions of the heritage values of the historical Mirogoj cemetery, and the layered issues of long-term management of this protected area and active city cemetery. We are especially grateful for the provided perspective of international networking around the topic of the touristic and educational potential of historical cemeteries."

TV show and radio broadcast

In addition to the previously prepared episodes of the show "Historical Controversies" for the Third Program of HR (available HERE), for which we once again sincerely thank Mr. Gordan Ravančić, the topic of the restoration of Mirogoj and the entire collaboration was also present on the air of Radio Sljema.

Immediately after the meeting, the head of the City Institute for the Protection of Cultural and Natural Monuments, Lana Križaj, was a guest of the program "We are rebuilding Zagreb together", with an appropriate comment by the head of the City Cemeteries branch office, Igor Rađenović.

Therefore, we would like to thank both of them for this added contribution and share the LINK for subsequent listening to the recording of the show for all those interested.

Photos from the experts meeting