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This week the Daily Overview posted a beautiful aerial image of the Cimetière Parisien de Pantin that, from the top perspective typical of its photos, enchants with its well-ordered green areas.
Cemeteries have always been essential spaces for populations.
From its beginning close to temples in the hope that the location could protect souls to the more institutionalized process of public cemeteries, which defined how and where people would have their final abode.
Like: in individual graves or by family.
Where: somehow remote from urban agglomerations.
Over time, the expansion of urban centers reduced the distances between cities and their cemeteries.
This process is explicit in the drawing below, which shows the location of Magnificent Seven, a series of cemeteries designed in 1833 to serve the population of London.
The image marks the current urban fabric of London with the dotted line in gray as it was at the time of the project.
The intention to build cemeteries in remote areas and how the city expanded far beyond that space, integrating them fully, is clear.
Today, these spaces acquire new functions, such as environmental preservation areas, green spaces, pilgrimage centers for the tombs of historical figures.
Combined uses are the result of the pressure that urban space places on areas that are very similar to parks, with the exception of a funeral atmosphere.
As life changes, we rethink space and its functions.
It's no different with cemeteries, although surrounded by mysticism, they were also questioned at other times.
The Chapel of the Aflitos is the last remnant of the Cemetery of the Aflitos, which occupied the Liberdade region and was “transferred” to the Cemetery of Consolation.
Jorge Wilheim, one of the most important and visionary Brazilian urban planners questioned the exclusive and exclusive function of cemeteries in the middle of the city and proposed the change of the Consolação and Araçá Cemeteries.
But even if his proposal had succeeded, like what happened in London, the city would have already incorporated these new cemeteries.
When it comes to cemeteries, it is difficult to define who owns the de facto possession and the possession of rights.
It would be the actual possession of the living, who use this physical space, a representation of what their family members' lives were like.
It would be of the dead in your Jus Sepulchri, right to be buried.
Or would it be the residents of the city lacking leisure areas and contact with nature?
There is no shortage of movements in this space dispute.
The São Paulo City Hall has already promoted the Cinetério, horror movie sessions at the Consolação Cemetery and bike rides, the Pedal Caveira.
Not without causing controversy..
Would it be possible to unite the two worlds?
The visual artist Pazé, Paulo José Keffer Franco Neto, believes so.
He sparked controversy with his exhibition called “Gardens of Time”, proposing the transformation of public cemeteries in São Paulo into areas for leisure and contemplation of the dead.
São Paulo is a city resented by the lack of parks and green areas. The urban expansion took place in such a way that there was no time to think about these spaces, and there were vast regions without any open and natural leisure area.
But there are open and natural areas that are not for leisure, cemeteries, which have been occupied as leisure areas, even if informally and with a certain fear in relation to residents.
Visual artist creates parks in cemeteries in São Paulo (link)
Imagine a lazy Sunday like this, Avenida Paulista, closed to cars, pedestrians rumble around the blocks.
Other spaces like this could be available to the population.
The São Paulo City Hall itself established the Parks, Gardens and Cemeteries Subdivision in 1935.
The right to a sepulchral space itself is not undetermined and can vary widely.
Going from the Perpetual Reservoir, which lasts as long as the tomb is maintained by the family.
Going through the Temporary Concession, a period of 5 to 25 years of space use.
Until the restricted General Court, use of 3 years with the removal of remains in the presence of a family member at the end of the term.
And there are market laws that apply to private cemeteries, where space is sold and maintenance fees are charged.
In the event of default, the space returns to the owner of the cemetery.
The idea of transferring pits to vertical structures is the most common because it reconciles the purposes of using the space.
But we have had recent cases in which the entire removal of the cemetery was considered, such as the housing project that would occupy the Vila Formosa cemetery, which just didn't move forward because of Predictions from Saint Rogério de Ogum's father when at the risk of ghosts of the evicted bodies haunting buildings.
In the end, the hope is that it will be possible to bring cemeteries closer to everyday life in cities.
References:
Cemetery spaces and the city of São Paulo, Master's Dissertation by Felipe Fuchs. USP 2019.
Karaoke Bar in front of the Consolation Cemetery.
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