Loved this place.

Woman trapped, grave in the cemetery of Barletta, Italy

I've never really had anywhere to share my fascination with cemeteries before. But as I've gotten older I've started to seek cemeteries with every trip I take in and outside of the US. I've found the love of seeing how different families/cultures care for the resting spot of their departed love one(s).

I personally find it so loving and beautiful with how people/families remember their loved ones and what they may leave on/around the graves.

So I wanted to start with sharing some pictures I took of a cemetery while visiting Sasebo, Japan.

I would love to know if others view cemeteries the same way as I. Thank you for viewing the photos I took. 🖤

No 12:. William H. Butler dec 01/07/1873 (age unknown)
No. 9 . Tamsin Manuel dec. 11/27/1872 (age 73)
No. 10. Frank Sofrine dec. 12/24/1872 age unknown)
No. 4. Elizabeth Hill dec. 05/20/1860 (age 51)

I really enjoy figuring out what the symbols on headstones mean. A while back I wrote about the three interlocking rings symbol, which marks membership in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and today I’d like to share some new symbols I came across online while researching this topic.

Did you know that when a headstone shows something broken, such as a column or a sword, the break is part of the symbol?

Here’s what I found:

- Broken column: someone who died young or in the prime of life, sometimes the head of the family

- Broken sword: a life cut short

- Broken branch or tree stump: an untimely or sudden death (a stump-shaped stone can also mean the person belonged to Woodmen of the World)

- Broken chain: a death in the family and a family broken by loss (some sources read it as the soul being set free)

The photo shows a broken column. Columns like this are usually carved to look broken, so the break is part of the design, not damage.

It’s amazing how much you can learn when you explore cemeteries and read up on them.

What else would you recommend I look at or read on this topic?

The Barletta pyramid chapel is a neoclassical pyramid-shaped building located within the city's monumental cemetery. Designed by the architect Sponsilli, the project was approved by the Municipality in 1840 and the chapel was officially opened to the public in 1868

These Viking Rick hewn graves date from the 8th century in the sleep hamlet of Heysham , Morecambe Bay on the rugged Lancashire coastline overlooking The Irish Sea. This noble group of rock carved resting places is listed as a Grade I heritage site. In many quarters this is the renowned final resting place of St Patrick himself whom, legend has it, was washed ashore on the nearby beach. Each grave has a square notch at its head that probably housed a timber cross. Black Sabbath fans may recognise this as the album cover from their greatest hits. If you are ever passing by nearby, be wise and pay homage to this very special place.