The History Of A Cemetery: An Italian Swiss Cultural Essay

Authors

Plinio Martini
Richard Hacken

Keywords

Cemetery, Meadow, Forest, Catholic

Abstract

Years ago, there was no cemetery in my village. This absence,

which weighed heavily upon the people as a cruel stroke of

fate, was a result of our village having earlier been part of a neighboring

community, whose more favorable location—sunny and protected

from the north winds—had allowed it to prosper while our community

dwindled.3 After long discussions and arguments, the mountain pastures,

valley meadows and forests—formerly communal property—

were divided up into separate realms with precise boundaries: everything

was written down on parchment and sworn to in the name of

God.

Recommended Citation

Martini, Plinio and Hacken, Richard (2020) "The History Of A Cemetery: An Italian Swiss Cultural Essay," Swiss American Historical Society Review: Vol. 56: No. 1, Article 3.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/sahs_review/vol56/iss1/3