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Date Published: 07/09/2022

ARCHIVED - Six feet wonder: 3 Andalusia graveyards are finalists in the prettiest cemetery in Spain awards

ARCHIVED ARTICLE

The cemeteries of Villaluenga, Archidona and Iznájar are among the seven finalists of the most beautiful graveyard contest in Spain

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Six feet wonder: 3 Andalusia graveyards are finalists in the prettiest cemetery in Spain awards

The graveyard of Villaluenga del Rosario, located within the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park in the province of Cadiz (Andalusia), is a finalist in the competition to find the ‘Best Cemetery in Spain’, as promoted by the magazine Adiós Cultural.

The mountain town of Villaluenga is competing for this curious yet coveted prize with other candidates such as Archidona (Malaga), Iznájar (Cordoba), Castro Urdiales (Cantabria), Redondela (Pontevedra), Sitges (Catalonia) and Valencia.

The Best Cemetery in Spain is, according to its organisers, is an “initiative [that] seeks to recognise the historical, social and heritage interest of cemeteries”, and in fact, rather than being a macabre pastime, graveyards are a popular place to visit for the peace and sense of beauty they impart.

A public vote has been launched on the website of the magazine Adiós Cultural for the category of ‘Most Beautiful Cemetery’. Voting is open until 30 September, 2022 and requires a Spanish DNI or NIE identification number and an email address so that each person can only vote for one cemetery each.

This is not the first time that Villaluenga del Rosario has been a finalist in this proposal, and in fact the graveyard of another town in the same Natural Park, Olvera, won the awatd in 2019.

The current cemetery of Villaluenga del Rosario is on the site of the old church of El Salvador, dated 1722 and which was burnt by the Napoleonic forces during the Spanish War of Independence. Today it is used as a cemetery, although there are also guided tours of the cemetery to see the architecture and promote the history of the town.

The organisers of the Best Cemetery competition say that “since the first edition of the competition in 2014, it has become one of the most important cultural events in the funerary sector and a benchmark for local councils, who have been prioritising the care of their cemeteries and promoting them as urban spaces that deserve to be visited.”

Image: Google Maps

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