Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris: a tourist attractionAlex Segre / UCG / Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Cemeteries, which are often avoided, could be valued as spaces of historical, artistic, and environmental heritage, not just as somewhere to commemorate the dead, suggested Saúl Alcántara Onofre, an architect and president of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) at a debate held at the National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City, in October. According to Onofre, the tombs and monuments in cemeteries reflect the worldview of the societies that built them. In some cities, such as Paris and Buenos Aires, they are tourist attractions. Others, such as the Cemetery of San Fernando in Seville, Spain, offer green spaces. Vila Formosa Cemetery, located in the east of São Paulo, is the largest in Latin America—a 1.5-kilometer trail through the trees was opened in 2015 with the aim of helping to transform the city’s cemeteries into places to walk pets and practice physical exercise. “Recognizing the value of these spaces helps to strengthen the collective memory and cultural diversity of our nation, ensuring that future generations can experience this legacy,” concluded Onofre (INAH, October 23).
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