O que podemos aprender nos cemitérios

Mariana Enriquez, a 52-year-old Argentine writer, suggests that the most exhilarating aspect of any travel experience is visiting cemeteries. In her book Alguém Caminha sobre o seu Túmulo – Minhas Viagens a Cemitérios, she shares her love for these somber yet fascinating sites. The book, published in 2014 and expanded in 2021, is a result of her nearly three decades of observation, initiated when she was a teenager.

Mariana's fascination with cemeteries began after visiting the Staglieno cemetery in Genoa in 1997. She recalls feeling an epiphany, stating that this experience ignited her passion for cemeteries. She draws comparisons to Ariel Dorfman's theatrical piece and Roman Polanski's film adaptation, A Morte e a Donzela.

Following her initial visit, Mariana lists 24 cemeteries from various locations, including Cincinnati, Edinburgh, and Havana. She also shares stories from other notable cemeteries, such as Montparnasse in Paris, home to the graves of Charles Baudelaire, Samuel Beckett, Julio Cortázar, and Marguerite Duras.

Mariana emphasizes that death can be viewed aesthetically, and her focus often lies on the beauty and grandeur of these places. She recounts that the impact of a cemetery is overwhelming, as seen at the Staglieno cemetery in Genoa. Born in 1973 under the military dictatorship, Mariana may have found her fascination with this somber topic in her past experiences.

Seven of the 24 cemeteries are in Argentina, where they serve as historical archives. For Mariana, the best cemeteries often tell stories of people she has never known, leaving her emotionally moved by the lives that have passed. She treats the subject with solemnity but also practicality, avoiding euphemisms such as "passed away" or "left us."

In her conclusion, Mariana offers a new list of the cemeteries she plans to visit before her own death. Among her eleven selected sites, one stands out: the Necrópole do Cairo in Egypt. This cemetery, located in a "favela-like" neighborhood, has been receiving both the dead and the living for over seven decades, creating a unique and enduring coexistence.