Cimitero of Amalfi

The Cimitero of Amalfi-
The Amalfi coast is a rare gem regardless of which aspect is being explored. Something I found interesting while I was there was the treatment of the dead in the Cimitero or Cemetery. Overlooking the coast and cut into the hillside is a viewing deck which serves as an entry into a series of Arcades which run parallel to the slope. Within these vaults are the cremated remains of entire families. The tombs would often have photographs of the deceased. I had never met any of the deceased in life, but for me they seemed to come alive. Walking through the arcade, each arch framed another view of the coast down below and I could not help thinking about the long history of Amalfi. Standing at the graves I could look down into the valley where they had spent their entire lives and see the streets that they had walked upon and the buildings in which they had lived. It seemed like a very meaningful cemetery, one that had been designed with both the living and dead in mind. It was the most moving cemetery I have ever entered.