The garden, located in the old section of the cemetery, was divided into seven areas combining lawns, paths and gravel spaces. Ashes could be scattered free of charge at either end, and a book would also be provided for recording the deceased’s details.
Another option was to bury the remains in biodegradable urns, accompanied by a plant and a plaque bearing the deceased’s name. This option cost 22 euros for five years, plus the cost of the plant and its maintenance, which were still being negotiated.
The city’s then Urban Planning official, Carlos Pérez Anadón, explained that the space would initially accommodate 500 urns, with capacity to expand to 1,500. The facility would also help meet part of the demand for columbariums, as the allocation and construction of around 1,700 were still pending.
The opening reflected a major change in Zaragoza residents’ funeral customs. While only 31.48% of the deceased were cremated in 2000, that figure had risen to 57.38% in 2010. In October 2011, cremations accounted for 56.48%.
The new garden thus expanded the funeral options at Torrero Cemetery in a city where cremation had gained ground over traditional burials. That is how we reported it in Aragón Digital 15 years ago, when Zaragoza opened a free space for depositing the ashes of loved ones.
