Welcome Back to the Chiesanuova Cemetery!
Well, well, well; if it isn’t the Chiesanuova Cemetery in Prato, ready to rise from the depths of disaster, like a phoenix from the ashes, or perhaps more fittingly, like the undead from their graves! Yes, folks, mark your calendars because come 19 October, this hallowed ground is throwing open its gates, all thanks to the vigilant folks over at the Public Hygiene Unit of ASL Toscana Centro. They recently gave the thumbs up after a thorough inspection—thank goodness they didn’t detect any eerie spirits, though I’d assume they had their brooms at the ready!
A Grave Situation
You see, last year’s flood wasn’t just a little splash; it was a full-on deluge—one that would make Poseidon raise an eyebrow. The cemetery got absolutely hammered, with water gushing into the burial fields, collapsing walls built in the 19th century, and turning the basement into a muddy soup. In fact, water and mud reached a staggering height of 2.5 meters! Let’s be real: when your cemetery looks like a scene from a horror movie, shutting it down is the least you can do. And we’ve all seen the horror movies that come from neglecting the upkeep of graveyards, haven’t we? 🎃
The Resurrection Plan
So, what did the Municipality of Prato do in response to this, um, grave situation? They didn’t just throw a few buckets of disinfectant down and call it a day! No, they fully gutted the place. We’re talking about 460,000 euros spent on cleaning, sanitization, and the restoration of headstones that, let’s be honest, might have seen better days. They even had to dig through the artistic chaos left by waters into the basement, where more funerary ornaments than a designer funeral home were languishing in muck!
Bring on the Morbid Crowds!
Why the rush to reopen by the end of October, you might ask? Well, according to Marco Sapia, the councilor for Public Works, they wanted to ensure that families could visit their dearly departed, particularly as we approach the magical time of year when the veil between this world and the next feels a little bit thinner. That’s right, folks—holidays for saints and souls are right around the corner! Nothing says “I love you, Grandad” quite like a muddy grave visit, so let’s roll out the red carpet from the other side.
Future Projects: Bound to Get You Talking
But hold your horses, because the work doesn’t end here! The local council is planning another 350,000 euros to reconstruct the cemetery’s perimeter wall and a neat 42,700 euros will go towards spiffing up the offices. And let’s not forget about that lift! It was so damaged it might as well have been sent to the afterlife. But fear not, the shaft will be replaced soon, and a whole 1.2 million euros is earmarked for these final touches!
Conclusion: The Final Resting Place or Just a Rest Stop?
At the end of the day, reopening the Chiesanuova Cemetery might seem like a coincidence or perhaps a scam to give more work to the local contractors—trust us, this town knows how to keep things “spirited.” So whether you’re heading there to visit a beloved ancestor or just out of morbid curiosity, remember that the place has been scrubbed and sanitized much like a comedy club after a particularly dark gig. So, dust off those ancestors, bring some flowers, or heck, just come for the gossip. After all, it’s not just a cemetery; it’s a testament to resilience—and probably a few new ghost stories!
Prato, 17 October 2024 – Il Chiesanuova cemetery it will be completely reopened next Saturday, 19 October: the approval has arrived from the Public Hygiene Unit of the ASL Toscana Centro which has carried out an inspection of the basement of the structure and has positively assessed the plant engineering, renovation and sanitization works carried out by the Municipality. A verdict long awaited by many families who asked to be able to access the still closed parts of the structure to visit their deceased loved ones. The cemetery, the largest in our area, had been seriously damaged by the flood of 2 November last year, which had caused the collapse of a part of the perimeter wall, dating back to the second half of the 19th century, the flooding of the offices on via Montalese, of the burial fields, of all the galleries in the basement with damage to the electrical system, the lift shaft, the flooring and coverings, the collapse of the gate and part of the fence at the back. The first extremely urgent interventions guaranteed the elimination of the danger for the reopening of the cemetery to users, excluding the basement galleries where the cleaning and sanitization works were longer and more difficult: here the water and mud reached height of 2.50 meters (up to approximately the fourth row of niches) and it was necessary to close the rooms in order to proceed with the removal of all the funerary ornaments (flowers, vases, jewelery etc.), suction of the water and mud, cleaning and sanitization of all vertical and horizontal surfaces in various steps. Following these initial interventions, inspections were carried out with doctors from the Hygiene and Public Health Office of the ASL Toscana Centro and on 13 February it was deemed possible to open the two tunnels I and L, despite the need for continue with more detailed cleaning and sanitization in the other tunnels, as a critical health and hygiene situation remained. Before continuing here in the unusable part, it was necessary to demolish and replace the existing flooring in many areas of the basement as it was completely raised and detached, replace the drains of the sewer system and clean the pipes blocked by debris and mud, intervene on the electrical system, clean the vertical surfaces, plaster where necessary and paint. Furthermore, the missing headstones were subsequently restored and the remainder were carefully cleaned and sanitized, including the funeral furnishings present. In total, the Municipality of Prato spent 460 thousand euros for this tranche of works. During the inspection a few days ago, the ASL verified that the activities carried out guarantee the possibility of reopening all the underground rooms. The cleaning works will be completed by tomorrow and the panels closing the stairwells leading to the galleries will be removed so they can open to users.
“We managed to respect the commitment we made to reopen by the end of October – declared the councilor for Public Works Marco Sapia – We thank the citizens of Prato for their patience because we are well aware of the inconvenience created by keeping the cemetery closed for a year. However, this was an obligation due to the important work we did following the flood. We arrive in time for the holidays in which the saints and the dead are remembered and the turnout in the cemeteries is greater because it is a way to stay close to those who are no longer here”. Finally, as regards the works already financed and to be carried out, the municipal council, on the proposal of the councilor for Public Works, approved the executive project for the reconstruction of the surrounding wall for 350 thousand euros. Another 42,700 euros were allocated for the restoration of the offices. Finally, between the end of this year and the beginning of next year, the lift, whose shaft was heavily damaged, will be replaced, the electrical system of the entire cemetery will be redone and the final restoration works will be done for a total of 1,200,000 euros .
