The Vilanova i la Geltrú cemetery will be featured at FITUR through the new digital network 'Living Cemeteries'.

January 2017.— The historical and artistic heritage of the Cemetery of Vilanova i la Geltrú (Barcelona) will be featured at the upcoming International Tourism Fair (FITUR), taking place in Madrid from January 18 to 22. This will be through the new portal *Cementerios Vivos*—driven by the National Association of Funeral and Municipal Cemeteries (AFCM)—a virtual network that will be presented at the fair and which groups together several significant Spanish cemeteries due to their history, art, or nature. Under the slogan “First they surprise, then they fascinate,” the goal of the portal is to work in a coordinated and collaborative manner to promote the funeral heritage that many Spanish cities have hidden in their cemeteries.

Owned by the public and managed by Àltima, a funeral group with over 300 years of experience in the sector, the Cemetery of Vilanova i la Geltrú is notable for its important artistic legacy, primarily from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which is why it is part of www.cementeriosvivos.es. It houses one of the most beautiful, original, and symbolic mausoleums from the Catalan modernist period, the tomb of writer and politician Víctor Balaguer (1824–1901), designed in 1905 by architect Bonaventura Pollés (1857–1919).

The site also reflects the history of the *indianos*—also known as *americanos*—through the tombs. These were prominent figures, mostly upper-class businessmen who left a significant mark on the Catalan coastal region and emigrated to America in the late 19th century to start businesses. Upon returning, they sought to showcase their power and wealth through the construction of monumental mausoleums and tombs. The Cemetery of Vilanova i la Geltrú is a testament to this. The tour through the noble graves of some of the most notable figures in politics, culture, and business buried here reveals true works of art. In addition to the funerary work of Bonaventura Pollés, the legacy of other modernist architects such as Josep Domènech i Estapà and Josep Font i Gumà can also be admired. Particularly notable, in addition to Víctor Balaguer's tomb, are the mausoleums of writer Manuel de Cabanyes, painter Joaquim Mir, and politician and businessman Francesc Gumà.