Balikli Patriarchal and Greek Orthodox Cemeteries (Istanbul, Turkey)

The Balikli Patriarchal and Greek Orthodox Cemetaries are located at the historical Balikli Patriarchal and Stavropegial Monastery of the Life-giving Spring.

Cemetery history

The Balikli Patriarchal and Greek Orthodox Cemeteries are located at the historical Balikli Patriarchal and Stavropegial Monastery of the Life-giving Spring. The history of the monastery goes back many centuries ago. According to tradition, the Byzantine Emperor Leo I (457-474), while wandering outside the walls of Constantinople, found a blind thirsty man and hurried to help him. Then he heard a voice telling him that a little further would find a spring of water to give to the blind man. When he was later crowned emperor in 457, he built a church above that spring, which he dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and named it Life-giving Spring.

The stories and traditions regarding the spring continue in the years of the Byzantine Emperors Justinian I (527-565), Basil I of Macedon (867-886), and Irene of Athens (752-803). In the time of the Byzantine Emperor Heraklion (610-641) the first losses of the Byzantine cross were buried on that place.

According to tradition on May 29, 1453, during the Fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans, a monk of the monastery was frying fish next to the spring. When someone informed him about the conquest he did not believe and said “If it is true then let the fried fish come to life, and let it fall into the spring water.” Before completing the phrase the half-fried fish returned to the water. That is why the monastery was named Balikli, from the Turkish word “balık” which means fish.

Cemetery significance

From 1842 onwards the Patriarchs of Constantinople were buried in the western courtyard of the monastery. Northeast of the monastery is the oldest and second largest Greek Orthodox cemetery in Istanbul, with many important burial monuments.

It is worth noting that a series of Karamanlid tombstones that come from the cemetery, are placed in second use in the north and east courtyard of the monastery since this master pieces are unique in the world. The inscriptions on them are written in Turkish, but in Greek characters, according to the type of writing developed by the Turkish-speaking Orthodox of Cappadocia who moved to Constantinople.

Cemetery Address

Seyitnizam Mh., Balıklı Seyit Nizam Yolu Sk. No: 3-4
34015 Zeytinburnu, Istanbul
Turkey

Contact

+905380415373

Basic cemetery data

Year of first burial: 610
Cemetery area: 2ha
Number of graves: approximately 2.086
Number of burials: approximately 6.258

Jewish Cemetery in Finale Emilia (Italy)

The Jewish Cemetery in Finale Emilia represents a fundamental trace of the Jewish presence in the area in the last 400 years.

About the Cemetery

Four hundred years of history narrated by the fifty-eight tombstones that have remained standing to this day; the horto of the Jews (as the Christians called it in ancient times) actually houses the burial places of almost the entire community that has lived in Finale Emilia.

The entrance is through a wrought iron gate, dating back to the beginning of the 20th century, bearing on its top the Star of David, inside which the word Shalom (Peace) is engraved.

Inside, the arrangement of the tombstones, all oriented strictly towards the south-east (towards Jerusalem), ideally divides the space into two parts: on the right, the twenty-three oldest burials, with inscriptions in Hebrew; on the left, the most recent ones, with inscriptions in Italian or bilingual (Italian and Hebrew).

In the centre of the cemetery is the most important tombstone: that of the founder of the Jewish cemetery, the well-known banker Donato Donati, who in 1600 obtained permission from Duke Cesare d'Este to purchase land for cemetery use.

Other illustrious names are linked to this place, even if not physically buried here: the general Rubino Ventura, who had his fortune in what is now Punjab, the well-known librettist Clemente Coen and the journalist Arrigo Levi (a direct descendant of Donato Donati).

Cemetery rehabilitation

After years of neglect, during which access to the cemetery was made impossible by vegetation that had grown out of control, in 1987 a group of volunteers from a local association "R6J6", supported by the Municipal Administration of the time and by numerous benefactors, armed themselves with shears and patience and brought to light a precious treasure that everyone had forgotten about: a fundamental trace of the Jewish presence in Finale Emilia.

On 23 October 1992, the cemetery had been subjected to serious anti-Semitic vandalism, with three tombstones broken and dozens damaged.

Thanks to an important restoration carried out in 2015, promoted by the association Alma Finalis, the tombstones are now white and shiny in their new look.

Today, the cemetery is no longer used for burials, but it is possible to visit it freely on public holidays and every Sunday from March to November.

Important graves and monuments

Some of the important graves and monuments at the Jewish Cemetery in Finale Emilia are:

• Donato Donati - Natan ben Semu’el Natan (1631)
• Elvira Castelfranchi (1945)
• Simha Formigine (1585)
• Aharon Castelnuovo (1855)
• Cabiria Ferrari in Rimini (1966)

Cemetery Significance

From an artistic point of view, the restoration work carried out over the years has made it a place of rare beauty and much appreciated by visitors.

The variety of shapes of the tombstones is surprising: two- or three-arched tombstones, richly decorated sarcophagi, a stone topped with a crown reminiscent of the Torah scroll. This is a varied and thought-provoking collection of art-historical tombstones.

From a historical point of view, the cemetery is the subject of regular guided tours on International Holocaust Remembrance Day and Day of Jewish Culture, as well as visits by appointment.

In May 2020 it was the subject of the "Giornate di Primavera del FAI" (FAI Spring Days) initiative organised by the FAI (Fondo Ambientale Italiano); aware of the importance of the place, FAI chose the Jewish cemetery together with the old ghetto area, and over 600 visitors came and visited them during the opening days.

We are also promoting knowledge of this property and its history by involving schools of all levels, like guided tours for primary schools, and study and research courses for high schools. Several researchers, especially from Israel, have taken an interest in the cemetery and visited it.

Beside burials, it should be noted that the cemetery also contains five commemorative plaques in memory of the most tragic period in Jewish history. These commemorate victims of the racial laws of 1938 and of the Shoah, but also people who distinguished themselves by saving Jews in difficulty (the so-called Righteous Among the Nations), like Don Benedetto Richeldi. Finally, there is also a plaque in memory of Nobel Prize winner Rita Levi Montalcini, benefactor of the Jewish cemetery and promoter of its reopening in 1987.

You can find a short video about the cemetery at THIS LINK.

Address

Vicolo Gozzi 1,
41034 Finale Emilia (MO)
Italy

Contacts

Anna Rita Molesini
Email: info@almafinalis.it
Phone: +39 349 7394298

Basic cemetery data

Managing organization: Association Alma Finalis APS
Cemetery area: 3582 m2
Cemetery type: religious cemetery
Number of graves: 58

Municipal Cemetery of Castro-Urdiales (Spain)

The Municipal Cemetery of Castro-Urdiales, originally the "Cementerio municipal de Ballena de Castro-Urdiales", stand on a beautiful peninsula facing the Cantabrian Sea.

About the Cemetery

The Municipal Cemetery of Castro-Urdiales was designed between 1885 and 1888 by Alfredo de la Escalera y Amblard (a diocesan and provincial architect) in an eclectic style, recalling the classical language which was applied in the construction of funeral chapels, pantheons, and niches. The Cemetery was a part of the local urban expansion of the late nineteenth century and was characterized by the urban structure that distributed the cemetery in blocks and streets, imitating the city of the living. 

The location of the cemetery is spectacular. It is like an enclave raised above the sea on a small peninsula, endowed with the best territorial conditions so that it was "well ventilated" and could not harm "public health".

The Municipal Cemetery of Castro-Urdiales is one of the most notable examples of Spanish funerary architecture and represents an exemplary case of urban development. It brings together a set of funerary monuments of exceptional quality in different styles such as neoclassic, eclecticism, neo-medievalism, modernism, gothic, and art deco. For this reason, it has received two national awards - for the best cemetery and the best funeral monument in 2016 and 2017 respectively. It has also been protected since February 14, 1994, with the legal figure of Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC).

Cemetery significance

What is most striking about the Municipal Cemetery of Castro-Urdiales is its funerary architecture, its natural setting on a peninsula facing the Cantabrian Sea and whose views outline the heritage site of Castro-Urdiales with its Santa María Church, its castle and lighthouse and the Santa Ana hermitage. For this, they name it colloquially as an open-air museum.

The Cemetery is a patrimonial element that is unique also for collecting the history of the civilian population of Castro-Urdiales, since its name "Ballena" (Eng. "whale") refers to the importance of fishing and the maritime activity of the city. On the other hand, it represents the economic boom of the 20th century that is manifested in the sumptuous pantheons of the bourgeois class that emerged in the modern town of Castro-Urdiales. In fact, it is one of the few Spanish cemeteries that has so many pantheons designed and projected by famous architects.

Today the cemetery is an important part of local cultural heritage that the population has been learning to value through numerous activities at the cemetery.

Important monuments at the Cemetery

Within the walls of the Cemetery lie the remains of illustrious figures from local, regional, and national history, such as the regionalist architect Leonardo Rucabado and the great musician and composer Arturo Dúo Vital.

There was another tomb that belonged to Francisco Bedoya, the last anti-Francoist guerrilla in Cantabria. In 1979, due to the numerous claims of the family, his remains were transferred to the Ciriego de Santander cemetery. It is noteworthy that while he was buried in Castro-Urdiales, he always had natural flowers on his grave.

There is another simple pantheon for the castreños who died in American lands who went there in search of better fortune or adventure, which reads: "For the castreños who expired on American lands with their souls placed in the Castro of their loves, I fervently ask you for a prayer so that God grants them an eternal rest. José Ibarra Hornoa dedicates this memory to them. May 1951".

Some of the other important graves and monuments at the Cemetery are:

• Sel Family Pantheon (1911)
• Artiñano Family Pantheon (1890)
• Isidra del Cerro Pantheon (1890-1900)
• Lavin Family Pantheon (1907)
• Baranda y Goya Family Pantheon (1908)

Cemetery Address

Calle Padre Basabe
39700 Castro Urdiales
Cantabria
Spain

Contacts

Phone: +34 942 78 29 00
Email: turismo@castro-urdiales.net
Website: www.micastro.castro-urdiales.net
Website: www.cementerioballena.castro-urdiales.net

Basic cemetery data

Year of first burial: 1888
Cemetery area: 6,5ha
Number of graves: approximately 2.800
Number of burials: approximately 5.000

AGM 2022: Small change of venue location

A minor change of location to the AGM.

Due to unexpected work, the AGM 2022 in Belgrade venue is changed. AGM will be held at the national parliament building at Kralja Milana 14, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.

It is a minor change of location that can be seen in the image below:

Feriköy Protestant Cemetery (Istanbul, Turkey)

Despite its modest presence, the Feriköy Protestant Cemetery is a major historic landmark with an international legacy that reaches back much earlier than its opening in 1859.

Cemetery history

The origins of the Feriköy Protestant Cemetery date back to 1853, when the Ottoman government gave land in Istanbul’s Feriköy district as a burial ground for the city’s foreign Protestant and Catholic communities to replace an earlier cemetery, located in the city's renowned necropolis of the Grand Champs des Morts.

In use since the sixteenth century, the old site had become a hindrance to urban expansion. The creation of the new cemetery, on what was then the city’s outskirts, not only provided more space for interments but also matched contemporary efforts in Europe to close inner-city graveyards and replace them with more hygienic burial grounds distant from settled areas.

The move to the new cemetery was postponed by the Crimean War, and in 1857, the land allotted four years earlier was considered insufficient to meet the needs of both Protestants and Catholics. Consequently, a separate site nearby for Protestants alone was granted to the embassies of several contemporary leading Protestant nations: Great Britain, Prussia, the United States of America, the Netherlands, Denmark, the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, and the Federated Cities of the Hanseatic League. After negotiations and the approval of their governments, these embassies drafted operating statutes and agreed to share the duty and cost of managing the cemetery.

The first burial occurred in November 1858, and the Feriköy Protestant Cemetery opened officially in February 1859. Since that time it has served as the chief cemetery for Istanbul’s foreign Protestant (and otherwise non-Catholic or Orthodox) dead.

Cemetery landscape

The cemetery’s landscape is not significant for its tidy, planned layout but to the contrary, for its unaffected natural beauty and a wildness and abandonment that accentuates its romantic charm. With many trees and rich foliage the cemetery is a sanctuary of nature. Both local and migratory birds frequent it: as long ago as the early 1900s a Swiss journal of ornithology recorded sightings in Feriköy. The cemetery is also home to tortoises and lizards, not to mention abundant insect life.

This ecological aspect is especially vital today, since the cemetery is one of very few green spots left in Istanbul’s urban sprawl. It is a priceless gift to the city, which was created by drift rather than by design.

Cemetery chapel

The single, most important architectural element in the cemetery is the chapel. Though no exact record has yet come to light indicating who designed it or the precise date it was constructed, cemetery accounting records clearly show that it was erected before 1868, in the first decade after the cemetery opened (1859-68). 

The chapel’s English, neo-Gothic style resembles this famous Istanbul landmark, the Beyoğlu’s Crimean Memorial Church, that was built in the same period (1858-68). Both are linked to the burgeoning of Istanbul’s Protestant community in the wake of the Crimean War and the creation of new establishments to serve it, including the cemetery itself, as well as the erection of monuments with Ottoman support to commemorate the assistance and sacrifices of European allies in the conflict, especially Great Britain.

The chapel’s distinctive “English” appearance is probably the main reason why the Feriköy Protestant Cemetery was often referred to in the past as the “English Cemetery,” as seen on nineteenth-century maps, photos, and postcards.

Important graves and monuments

Some of the important graves and monuments at the Feriköy Protestant Cemetery are:

• For enterprise and celebrity – Franz Carl Bomonti (1857-1903), Brewer
• For learning and faith – Elias Riggs (1810-1901), Translator, Missionary
• For exploration and unconventionality – J. B. Crighton Ginsburg (c.1826-1898), Preacher
• For wealth and grandeur – Henri Maurice Rampacher (1816-1866), Merchant
• For variety and inclusion – The Nakamura Tombstone

Cemetery significance

Despite its modest presence, the Feriköy Protestant Cemetery is a major historic landmark with an international legacy that reaches back much earlier than its opening in 1859. 

The cemetery bears witness to the critical role of generations of Europeans and other Westerners in the social, economic, and political life of the Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey. It testifies to Istanbul’s communal diversity and richness. It is the last resting place of generations of individuals who left their mark both locally and beyond.

Besides this testament to the past, the cemetery offers proof of international union—a point that was underscored in an address by the pastor of the Prussian legation at the cemetery’s opening in 1859, when he praised the cooperative effort made to establish it by the foreign legations that represented the chief Protestant powers of the day: “. . . [All] members of the Protestant community,” he said, “. . . joined in harmony. The worldly authorities set an example. . . [This place] is—God willing—a permanent memorial to the union of Protestant princes and nations. . . .”

His words remain valid today. An active burial ground managed by a diplomatic governing board composed of the representatives of many nations, the Feriköy Protestant Cemetery is—as it has been throughout its history—a tribute to international unity and cooperation.

Cemetery management

The current governing board is comprised of the consuls general of Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, Hungary, Switzerland, and the USA.

In 2018, the Feriköy Protestant Cemetery Initiative, a scholarly working group, was established to document and preserve the cemetery as a heritage site. Affiliated with six Turkey-based international research centers (the American Research Institute in Turkey, the Netherlands Institute in Turkey, the Orient-Institut Istanbul, the Hungarian Cultural Center, the Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul, and the British Institute at Ankara), the Initiative serves as an advisory group to the diplomatic governing board, the first such body in the cemetery's history.

Address

Cumhuriyet Mahallesi
Abide-i Hürriyet Cd. No: 5
34380 Şişli, Istanbul
Turkey

Managing organization

Diplomatic Governing Board of the Feriköy Protestant Cemetery of Istanbul

Basic cemetery data

Year of first burial: 1858
Cemetery area: 1,42ha
Number of graves: approximately 1.000 marked gravesites
Number of burials: approximately 5.000

AGM 2022: Meet our guides

Get to know the two Art History students who will take us on a guided tour around the New Cemetery in Belgrade as part of the AGM 2022.

Guided tour at the New Cemetery in Belgrade

One of the events during the upcoming AGM will be a guided tour through the New Cemetery in Belgrade.

As a continuation of an intensive work with youth at cemeteries, this year we will have a special treat for the 2022 ASCE AGM & Conference participants. Namely, for several years now our company is taking part in Belgrade Internship Program intended for University Students. Two of our young interns are future Art Historians, who we believe will bring a fresh perspective, and will be our guides through the New Cemetery in Belgrade.

Meet Katarina and Marina

Katarina is 4th year Art History undergraduate student, vivacious and vibrant, but on the other hand serious and meticulous. We believe her to be a future scholar.

Marina is a master’s student of Art History, quiet, easy going, however determined and interested in variety of topics. We are sure she will have a bright future in her filed.

A short guided tour insight

To tickle your imagination, the following is a short insight in what you will be able to see and hear on September 15, 2022, at the New Cemetery in Belgrade.

In addition to many architectural and sculptural treasures of the New Cemetery in Belgrade, including its distinctive Neo-Byzantine style, you will be able to see WWI & WWII military cemeteries, WWI ossuaries, including the Garden of Remembrance (beautiful rose garden intended for accommodation of cremated remains, initially designed with the intention to become a Turkish Military Cemetery).

Our guides will share intriguing stories about many authentic characters: a lawyer and a diplomat who was a personal friend of French Prime Minister and a US President during the Great War, married to an "American Million Dollar Princess"; sculptor who won a gold medal at the Paris World Fair in 1900; intellectual and patriot, who inspired the work of a famous American sculptress called "Modern Crusader";  WWI Field Marshal after whom a mountain located in Alberta, Canada, was named to honor the Serbian sacrifice during the Great War as a part Allied efforts in Europe; and many foreigners who settled in Belgrade in late 1800s and made Serbia their home.

Finally, you will be able to hear a story of a diplomat and politician who initiated the transfer of the urn with cremated remains of the world-renowned scientist Nikola Tesla to Belgrade, including some interesting details about his funeral both in USA and Belgrade, and how his urn ended up in a local museum.

Looking forward to seeing you in Belgrade and sharing many more stories with you!

You can find the whole AGM 2022 program HERE.

Monumental Cemetery of Lavagna (Lavagna, Italy)

In addition to the remarkable artistic heritage, the Monumental Cemetery of Lavagna represents the mirror of community through time.

About the cemetery

In 1810 the construction of the cemetery began on a land owned by the Franzoni family, used for chestnuts, and situated in the area of Via Carcara.

In 1811 the castle of the Navy (used as a sighting of Saracens) was destroyed which and the stones were used to build the containment walls of the Cemetery.

The Cemetery was subject to three expansions over the years. The first expansion took place in 1870, and in 1880 there was the creation of two large funeral shrines which are based at the entrance sides of the Cemetery. The second expansion took place in 1881 and in 1900 a third expansion was decided. 

On 12 June 1913 the new part of the Cemetery was built, connected to the old part.

Most of the artifacts were made by the Lavagnese Opificio "REPETTO", carried on forward by the BIANCHI-SANGUINETI Laboratory, together with the work of local and not high-level masters. To these craft shops was later added some minor Laboratory. In the second post war the CANEPA and BERTOCCHI workshops followed one another, but only for the realization of a few artistic monuments from Carrarese.

The tombs and funeral monuments are mainly in Carrara marble, few are made with other types of marble, some are in bronze.

Symbols at the cemetery

The prevalent religion at the cemetery is the Catholic one, which is evident from the symbols on the tombs. The most ancient tombs, especially in the ancient cemetery, are adorned with statues that depict the virtues, angels, girls offering flowers, broken columns, hourglasses. The authors are not signed, or the names are no longer readable.

In the most recently built cemetery, built in the early 20th century, which constitutes a continuation of the ancient one, we move to other symbols, such as the torch of life, towards the hell dantesco, references to Gospel parables (with the triumph of liberty) and arrangements of dancing figures that feel the phenomenon of Italian artistic defined divisionism. The authors are known sculptors who signed their works.

Important graves or monuments

There are truly numerous graves of great importance that are found in the Monumental Cemetery of Lavagna and, among these, those that absolutely deserve to be mentioned are the following:

BERISSO CHAPEL

The chapel is located in the part of the ancient cemetery and was built in 1905.

The tomb, in Carrara marble, is composed of a base on which a group of figures rests, sculpted to form a pyramid. The group is made up of three figures: the soul of a woman, raised high by two angels. The whole gives a sense of upward movement, centered by the angel’s wings.

Unfortunately, the author of this work is unknown.

TOMB OF CATHERINE CANALE

The tomb is located in the area of the ancient cemetery.

It is one of the most admired tombs, although not large. It shows a crying child, who is sad because he cannot go beyond the next door to his dead mother. The child has placed a wreath of flowers on the step, where he sits disconsolately, leaning his head on his left hand. When it rains, the drops of water run down his face and look like tears.

This is a figure that appears quite often in funerary representations and wants to represent the impossibility of reunion.

The tomb is probably from the Opificio Repetto and the sculpture is the work of one of the sculptors of the Laboratory.

TOMB  MERANI

It is a recent monument, which dates back to 1984, and is inserted in the part of the ancient cemetery. It is one of the few bronze works by Francesco Dallorso and represents a "Pieta" inspired by Michelangelo: Mary and Joseph of Arimathea, who support the body of Christ, which is sliding into the Sepulcher.

The bent, lifeless Christ contrast with the vigor of the male figure, which supports him with evident effort, as can be seen from the face, contracted with pain, both physical and moral.

The Virgin Mary, with a petrified face, wrapped in the splendid drapery of the veil and dress, holds the hand of her son with a gesture of extreme farewell.

REPETTO TOMB

The tomb is located in the area of the ancient cemetery and was built in 1878 by the sculptor Medardi Borelli, a pupil in Brera and sculptor of the Opificio Repetto.

The tomb is made up of a base with ornaments and symbols (sickle, wheat, ivy) and a statue representing "time" - an old, winged man (a symbol of transience) who is holding a sickle in his right hand and an hourglass in his left.

Note that the face of "time" is the sculptor's self-portrait.

SOLARI CHAPEL - CANEPA (formerly De Ambrosis Chapel - Giacalone)

The Chapel is located in the area of the new Cemetery and was built in 1922 by the Bianchi-Sanguineti Company. Thanks to the work of the sculptors Tomaso Sanguineti, Gaetano Cairoli, Enrico Graffigna and others, it can be considered the most beautiful Chapel in the Cemetery.

The marble facade, in Renaissance style, very rich in ornaments, is divided into two parts. In the lower one, two large columns flank a bronze portal with praying angels, inserted between ornate frames. A splendid high-relief depicts Charity acts as an over door.

In the upper part, above a cornice, there is one of the three mosaics of the Cemetery, representing God the Creator, while on the sides there are two crowns with the symbols of Alpha and Omega.

The interior is worthy of the exterior, with a splendid marble altar, on which four little angels stand at the base of a crucifix, a splendid Resurrection is depicted in the front. On the sides of the altar there are two sarcophagi with caryatids.

The mirror of community

In addition to the remarkable artistic heritage, both the "old" and the "new" part of the Monumental Cemetery of Lavagna represent the mirror of community, divided into various social classes, but united by a particular cult of the dead.

The Captain, who had a chapel built in Egyptian style. Those who emigrated mainly to South America, made their fortune there, returned to Lavagna and built a tomb that highlights their wealth. The humble fish monger who does not hesitate to spend her savings to build a tomb reminiscent of her husband, the fisherman. The nobleman who builds a chapel worthy of his rank. From the Monsignor to the Parish priest of the country- From the Mazzinian pharmacist to the doctor-mayor-philanthropist. From the Garibaldian Patriot to the General who fought against brigandage. Children, to whom a small moving space is dedicated. Artists, who worked in this cemetery and in which they were buried.

The overview is therefore vast and touches on regional, not to say global, aspects.

Address

Monumental Cemetery of Lavagna
Via Dei Cogorno 30,
16033 Lavagna GE,
Italy

Contacts

Cemetery Services Office
0185/367290 - Dr. Franca Cardinali
0185/367224 - Mrs. Antonella Azaro

Cemetery custodians contacts
3357471040 and 3357471190

Basic cemetery information

Ownership: Municipality of Lavagna
Management: Cemetery Services Office
Size: about 12.000 m2
Nationality: mainly Italian
Religion: mainly Catholic

AGM 2022: Accommodation in Belgrade

Accommodation options for the AGM 2022, taking place in Belgrade, Serbia, from 15 to 17 September.

About accommodations in Belgrade

• Local check-in time is around 14:00/15:00 hrs., predominantly 14:00 hrs.
• Most of the hotels suggested in this post can organize shuttle bus transportation to the airport at reasonable prices.
• The AGM venue is equipped with underground parking in case participants decide on the hotel a little further from the city center.

Make your reservation

Below you will find a list of accommodations in a relative close proximity (5-30 minutes) to the venue of the Annual General Meeting and Conference 2022.

Of course, you can use booking apps to find some other accommodation options that suit you better.

Either way, we would strongly encourage you to book your accommodation as soon as possible due to a few international events taking place in Belgrade in the same period as the AGM.

Hotel Nobel (23 Visegradska St., Belgrade, Serbia)

• Comfortable hotel in a historic building.
• 54 rooms.
• Approximately 18 minutes on foot to the AGM venue (5 minutes by car and 10 minutes by public transportation).
• Hotel website
• Hotel Facebook page

Mercure Belgrade Excelsior (5 Kneza Milosa St., Belgrade, Serbia)

• Comfortable, reasonably priced little hotel with cozy rooms.
• Located just across the street from the AGM venue.
• Parking available in underground garage under the Belgrade City Assembly.
• Hotel website
• Hotel Facebook page

Belgrade City Hotel (7 Savski trg St., Belgrade, Serbia)

• 150 rooms.
• Centrally located within Savamala district - one of the most vibrant and most rapidly growing areas of Belgrade.
• 10 minutes walk from the AGM venue.
• Very reasonably priced.
• Parking in internal courtyard – should be booked in advance.
• Serving continental and gluten-free breakfast.
• Hotel website

Golden Tulip Zira Belgrade (35 Ruzveltova St., Belgrade, Serbia)

• 127 rooms.
• Located in the vicinity of the New Cemetery of Belgrade.
• Approximately 2 km from the AGM venue and the city center (5 minutes by car, 11 minutes by public transportation, around 20 minutes on foot).
• Underground parking available in the vicinity.
• Hotel website

Holiday Inn Express Belgrade City (23 Ruzveltova St., Belgrade, Serbia)

• 122 rooms.
• Located in the vicinity of the New Cemetery of Belgrade.
• Approximately 2 km from the AGM venue (5 minutes by car, 11 minutes by public transportation, around 15 to 20 minutes on foot).
• Parking available.
• Hotel website

Garni Hotel Heritage (7a Mije Kovačevića St., Belgrade, Serbia)

• 40 rooms.
• Located in the broader center of Belgrade, in the vicinity of the New Cemetery of Belgrade.
• Approximately 3 km from the AGM venue (5 minutes by car, 18 minutes by public transportation, around 30 minutes on foot).
• Parking available in front of the hotel.
• Hotel website

Metropol Palace (69 Bulevear Karalja Aleksandra St., Belgrade, Serbia)

• 236 air-conditioned rooms.
• Located in the center of Belgrade.
• Approximately 1,6 km form the AGM venue (3 minutes by car, 8 minutes by public transportation, around 13 on foot).
• Parking available (possibility of hiring a valet).
• Hotel website

88 Rooms Hotel (49 Takovska St., Belgrade, Serbia)

• Located in the broader center of Belgrade.
• Approximately 2,6 km from the AGM venue (4,5 minutes by car, 10 to 12 minutes by public transportation, 18 minutes on foot).
• Parking available.
• Serving vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free breakfast.
• Hotel website

Amsterdam Hotel (10 Jug Bogdanova, Belgrade, Serbia)

• 41 rooms.
• Located in the city center.
• Approximately 800 meters from the AGM venue (less than 5 minutes by car, 10 minutes on foot).
• Private parking available.
• Hotel website

Garni Hotel Opera (16 Brace Jugovica St., Belgrade, Serbia)

• Prime location in downtown Belgrade.
• Approximately 800 meters from the AGM venue (9 minutes by public transportation and 8 minutes on foot).
• Reasonably priced and well recommended hotel.
• Quiet, in spite of being located in the vicinty of the National Theatre and the main shopping street.
• Hotel website

Garni Hotel Le Petit Piaf (38 Skadarska St., Belgrade, Serbia)

• 18 cozy rooms.
• Located in the heart of Belgrade’s bohemian street of Skadarlija.
• 8 minutes from the AGM venue by public transportation, 12 minutes on foot.
• Garage available (reservations requested).
• Serving continental, vegetarian and gluten-free breakfast.
• Hotel website

Hotel Constantine the Great (27. marta St. No. 12, Belgrade, Serbia)

• Modern, luxury hotel located close to the city center.
• 50 rooms.
• The distance from the AGM venue is approximately 4 minutes by car, 10 minutes by public transportation or 13 minutes on foot.
• Private parking and garage available.
• Hotel website

Hotel Majestic (Obilićev Venac 28, Belgrade, Serbia)

• Main entrance is on the Obilićev Venac 28 while the back entrance is on Maršala Birjuzova 10.
• Built in 1936, Hotel Majestic is proteced as one of Belgrade’s historical landmarks.
• It was the first art deco building of its kind in the capital.
• Located in a quiet street, at the very center of Belgrade.
• The distance from the AGM venue is approximately 6 minutes by car, 8 minutes by public transportation or 10 minutes on foot.
• 83 rooms.
• On-site garage availabe.
• Hotel website

Hotel Envoy (13 Cika Ljubina St., Belgrade, Serbia)

• Modern, cozy, luxury hotel located in the very heart of Belgrade, tucked in a quiet pedestrian street.
• The distance from the AGM venue is approximately 6 minutes by car, 8 minutes by public transportation or 10 minutes on foot.
• Hotel website

AGM 2022: Welcome to Belgrade

Useful information and tips when visiting Belgrade during this year's Annual General Meeting and Conference.

AGM 2022 date and location

The AGM and Conference 2022 will take place on the 15th, 16th, and 17th of September 2022 in the National Assembly of Serbia (Kralja Milana 14, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia), which is:

• Located in downtown Belgrade in the historical building;
• Across the street from the State Assembly Building and beside the Presidential Offices;
• Easy accessible by car & public transportation;
• Underground parking available;
• Nearby city center hotels, restaurants & shopping;
• Cozy green area (city park) just outside the facility.

Easy Access to Belgrade

Belgrade is located at the crossroads of the entire corner of Europe. It is positioned at the intersection of the European E-70 and E-75 highways and can be reached from most of the European cities by 1,5 to 2,5 hours lasting flights.

Where to stay in Belgrade?

We would strongly encourage participants to book their accommodation as soon as possible due to a few international events taking place in Belgrade in the same period as ASCE AGM. Therefore, we have prepared a list of suggested hotels in a relative close proximity (5-30 minutes) to the venue and of a wider price range.

Of course, you can also use booking apps to find some other options.

Belgrade and Belgraders

Belgrade is outspoken, loud and audacious. Its turbulent past unfolds before your eyes: brutalist buildings squeezed between art-nouveau masterpieces and Viennese Secession gems, while the of Austro-Hungarian influences may be seen shoulder to shoulder with the Ottoman Relics.

Belgraders are vivacious, spontaneous, charmingly out of tune with the World as Belgrade itself, always ready to help, sometimes going to the extreme lengths, just to create the best possible experience for the visitor.

Soul food

Rest assured that you will never be hungry in Belgrade. From traditional restaurants in the bohemian district of Skadarlija, to contemporary fusion restaurants, you may taste iconic traditional dishes such as “roštilj” (Serbian barbecue) “sarma” (stuffed cabbage rolls), “gibanica” (cheese pie), or modern elaborate foods from all corners of the World.

Even though Serbia is still predominantly a country of meat eaters, there is an interesting emerging vegan and vegetarian restaurant scene. Anyway, even the most traditional restaurants will always be ready to fulfill most of your wishes food wise, the best they can. Check  10 best vegan eateries in Belgrade.

Top 5 attractions to see in Belgrade

1. Belgrade Fortress - dating from ancient Roman times,constructed all throughout the 1st to the 18th century.
2. Skadarlija Bohemian District - Montmartre of Belgrade with many traditional restaurants.
3. Nikola Tesla Museum - harobors the urn with cremated remains of the world renounced scientist.
4. St. Sava Church - one of the largest Orthodox Christian temples in the World. It can be seen from whatever side a visitor approaches downtown Belgrade.
5. Savamala District - waterfront promenade, vibrant restaurant and club scene.

2022 EU heritage days

Belgrade hosts around 100 festivals, most of them of international character, some well-established. The beginning of the ASCE Conference coincides with the European Heritage days (mid-September to mid- October 2022). The New Cemetery in Belgrade participates in this manifestation since 2014. This year’s topic is “Sustainable Heritage”.

Cemeteries in Belgrade

10 largest urban cemeteries managed by Public Utility Company “Funeral services” Belgrade encompass the area close to 350 hectares, representing the final resting place for more than 720.000 people, while harboring in excess of 300.000 burial places.

Tips for visitors

Watch the awarded official promotional video of Tourist Organization of Belgrade on YouTube: “Belgrade Walk through History and Culture”

The following are some interesting links to explore before you arrive to Belgrade:

• Tourist organization of Belgrade
• Tourist organization of Serbia

We are looking forward to seeing you in Belgrade!

AGM program and sign up

You can find the AGM 2022 program and sign up form at this LINK.

European Cemeteries Route successfully evaluated as a Cultural Route

To retain the label of a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, European Cemeteries Route has been evaluated in the framework of a three-year evaluation-cycle by European Institute of Cultural Routes.

About European Cemeteries Route

European Cemeteries Route is a project established by ASCE in 2010. It refers to cemeteries as places of life, settings that, as urban spaces, are directly linked to the history and culture of the community they belong to and where we will find many of our references.

Members of the route organize guided tours, events and other activities at the cemeteries, with the aim of informing visitors and making them aware of the important cultural heritage reflected in cemeteries.

European Cemeteries Route as a Cultural Route

European Cemeteries Route has been a certified "Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” since 2010.

Every three years, the Governing Board of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA) meets to renew this certification to networks, such as the European Cemeteries Route.

The final step of this year's thorough, more than 6-month long evaluation process took place on 5 and 6 May 2022, in Luxembourg, where European Cemeteries Route successfully passed the evaluation and, by meeting all the required criteria, obtained the right to further use the label Cultural Route of the Council of Europe.

You can find the details about the evaluation process HERE.

Importance of the regular evaluation process

Throughout the last ten years, European Cemeteries Route has been evaluated 3 times. Always with success and observed as one of the routes that performs really well.

In many ways it may be seen as leading developer for the sector of cultural tourism.Yet again each time it went through the evaluation process, we have learned that there are possible improvements and unexploited potentials, such us:

• improvements in our work,
• improvements in the government networking,
• improvements in the research and cooperation with the academic sector,
• possibilities in cultural crossroads concept.

You can find more about the improvements and plans that European Cemeteries Route will work on in the future HERE.

Call for hosting AGM 2023, 2024, 2025

Seize the opportunity to become the host of the ASCE Annual General Meeting and Conference and take advantage of the benefits that this position brings to your cemetery and city.

Benefits of hosting AGM

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 cemeteries management.

Hosting the AGM is a great opportunity especially when it coincides with other relevant events of the city. The main benefits are:

• international exposure through several communication channels of ASCE, especially in professional, diplomatic and academic circles;
• attention of local and regional media due to interesting authors and international attendance;
• networking for local companies allowing to promote their products and services through sponsorship or other inclusions into the conference theme;
• international promotion of local academics and networking with other institutions thus creating new possibilities for joint researches;
• proposing and directing the theme relevant for local cemetery or situation and thus gathering important know-how for solving the situations.

Guidelines and application form

Due to much interest in hosting we have prepared some guidelines for all candidates on how to approach becoming the host.

To apply for hosting the AGM in 2023, 2024 or 2025, follow the link below:

AGM host application form

*Photo of the Cemetery of Varaždin (Croatia). Copyright by Darko Gorenak.