Embracing peace and preserving cemetery heritage

In 2025, let us unite to promote peace, justice, and the vital role cemeteries play in preserving our shared heritage.

Dear friends and colleagues, cemetery travellers.

You know how time stops when you visit the cemetery. All the rush of the outside world and conflicting thoughts become distant. Monuments reveal the stories of human love, devotion and dedication to enjoy life together. Cemetery traveller is a peaceful traveller. One that will always be careful about where she walks, what he eats and how she talks. Thoughtful about nature and all living beings. Mindful about the importance of preserving the heritage resting in cemeteries.

This is why we have to keep our initiative of Significant cemeteries for sustainable Europe. That is why in 2025 our focus will be on United nations goal 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions.

Because humanity needs peace to sustain. More than ever it will be important for all our members and partners to join efforts. Invite people to cemeteries. Let them experience the feelings when time stops. When all the rush of the outside world and conflicting thoughts become distant.

Convince humanity to become cemetery travellers. Preserve and protect the heritage of humanity resting in cemeteries.

The ASCE presidency wishes you peaceful holidays and 2025.

International congress: "Heritage, a shared responsibility"

From 9 to 11 November 2023, Cementiris de Barcelona participated in the international congress in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

About the event

From 9 to 11 November 2023, an international congress on the topic “Heritage, a shared responsibility” took place in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The event was organised by Hispania Nostra, part of Europa Nostra.

Under the slogan “Patrimonio somos todos” (“We are all heritage”), this congress sought to reflect on the protection and knowledge of cultural heritage. It focused on how cultural heritage can be used in a search for diversity and multiculturalism, a defence of democracy, a place of collective memory and personal reflection, and a defence of fundamental rights. Debates about these objectives were tied to the use of new technologies, and the importance of including the general public in the maintenance of cultural heritage.

Representing European Cemeteries Route

The representative of Cementiris de Barcelona, Adrià Terol, participated in a debate with the President of ICOMS Argentina, the General Secretary of AEPJ and the General Director of Cultura for the OEI. The debate focused on how European culture routes can be a source of social and economic development, as well as their effects on civil society.

Our spokesperson’s role was to represent the European Cemeteries Route, part of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe. With Barcelona Cemeteries as an example of how cemeteries are a part of a city’s heritage, Terol explained what activities are put on offer to the public or to research and education institutions, and how these activities help to create a better dialogue between cemeteries and the heritage they hold and the general public. There was also a focus on links to Ibero-american heritage routes, and how Ibero-american and European heritage tie into one another.

The congress was a good way to present our work, at both a local and international level, to a wider public, and to gain new contacts. The congress was covered by various media outlets.

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 "Terza missione" 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.