El Papiol (Barcelona), October 15, 2021.- On the occasion of the World Day for the Visibility of Gestational, Perinatal, and Neonatal Death, the Roques Blanques Regional Cemetery has unveiled the Garden of Butterflies, a space dedicated to this type of grief where families can remember and honor children lost during pregnancy, at birth, or shortly thereafter. The ceremony took place this morning with the presence of Eva Martínez, President of the Baix Llobregat County Council – the entity that owns the cemetery – Joan Ventura, General Director of Cementiris d’Àltima – the company managing Roques Blanques through GIC de Nomber – and representatives from the associations Petits amb llum, Cristina Cruz, and Pauets, Matilde Pérez Herranz. Also present were Joan Borràs, the mayor of El Papiol, and several county councilors. From the health sector, Yolanda Giménez, Patient Manager of Fetal Medicine, and Ester Valls, Social Work Coordinator, both from the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, were in attendance.
With the Garden of Butterflies, Roques Blanques aims to contribute to the awareness and visibility of a type of grief that is present in our society but remains under-recognized and considered taboo. Designed by architects Batlle i Roig, who also designed the overall project for Roques Blanques Cemetery, which was established in 1984, the memorial is situated in a clearing within a forest of native pines, bordered by a stone wall, creating an intimate and secluded area surrounded by nature – a feature that characterizes the entire cemetery, seamlessly integrated into the surroundings of the Collserola Natural Park. The tranquility of the space provides a place to sit and remember lost children while facilitating the grieving process. Inside the circle, families who wish can place blue handmade ceramic butterflies as a metaphor for the cycle of life, purity, and hope, in tribute to loved ones who left prematurely. A marble plaque in this area will allow for the inscription of names and dates as a collective memorial. Beneath each butterfly, it will also be possible to bury ashes in a biodegradable infant urn.
According to Eva Martínez, President of the Baix Llobregat County Council, “Perinatal, gestational, or neonatal loss is a reality that is still often very socially invisible and affects many families in silence. The County Council wants to stand with those who have experienced this type of loss and accompany them in their grief. Our region needs spaces of recognition and support for families who have lost loved ones under these conditions, making perinatal, gestational, and neonatal grief visible and giving it the importance it deserves."
Joan Ventura, General Director of Cementiris d’Àltima, stated, “Cemeteries must evolve alongside society, and therefore, we believe it is essential to address the needs that may arise from our environment. In this sense, with the Garden of Butterflies, we aim to address a type of grief that is often ignored but nonetheless present, affecting many people. We want to contribute to raising awareness about this type of loss and support everyone who has suffered the death of a child at this stage, from a space designed specifically for this purpose – a physical place to remember and honor those who are no longer here.”
Cristina Cruz from Petits amb llum expressed, “As the president of an association that supports families who have lost their child during gestation or shortly after birth, and as a mother who has experienced perinatal loss, I am proud to inaugurate this space that is so important for many families. Spaces like this recognize our children and, most importantly, the pain of their loss, showing us a society that is increasingly sensitive and empathetic towards families living this harsh reality."
Matilde Pérez Herranz from the Pauets association (Hospital de Sant Pau) added, “Giving a public dimension to gestational, perinatal, and neonatal death opens the possibility for much-needed reflection. Creating memorial spaces like the one inaugurated today can contribute to the visibility of a reality that we do not want to ignore.”
The new memorial for gestational, perinatal, and neonatal grief at Roques Blanques is located in Area VI of the cemetery, perfectly integrated into the natural environment, adhering to the cemetery’s environmentally respectful and sustainable criteria. It is the fourth space of its kind established by Àltima, following those in Sant Cugat del Vallès (2019), Castellar del Vallès (2020), and Ripoll (2020).
Roques Blanques: A Benchmark Cemetery for Its Management
Since its inception in 1984, Roques Blanques Regional Cemetery has established itself as a benchmark cemetery, even at the European level. It has done so by consistently following a policy of sustainable management and commitment to the environment in all its projects and services. The Garden of Butterflies, launched today, is an example of this: it is a space for gestational, perinatal, and neonatal grief fully integrated into the Collserola forest, where only ecological urns are used.
In line with this commitment to sustainability, Roques Blanques has developed several pioneering alternatives in our country for the ecological disposal of ashes, such as the Forest of Calm, Family Trees, the Garden and Fountain of Rest, and the Forest Path, the latter recognized with the EMAS 2018 Awards. For more traditional options, the cemetery has also been the first to offer green burials for coffins, such as the Green Niches and Forest Pantheons.
Additionally, due to its privileged location in the Collserola Natural Park, Roques Blanques has carried out initiatives to protect and promote native flora and fauna, supporting projects to protect and enhance squirrels, hedgehogs, amphibians, bats, butterflies, and bees. In the latter case, through a Didactic Apiary, an initiative awarded last June at the EMAS 2021 Awards. Roques Blanques was also the first cemetery to introduce an electric hearse for internal services (the ION). For over ten years, it has also relied on other electric vehicles for maintenance services and user transportation within the cemetery.