The Cemeteries of the city of Valencia have opened their doors after, since the beginning of the Dana, they were closed, first as a precaution and then out of mourning. However, since it is the type of holiday that it is, on Thursday, the city council decided to lift the ban so that people could go to cemeteries and place flowers at the graves of loved ones.
This is currently a very reduced version. At the time when the different sections should have been full of people, the influx is much smaller than in a normal edition. There are several factors that seem to have had an influence, such as the general state of mind, the threat of rain, the consequences of Dana itself – many of the regular visitors have their residence in the affected towns due to a change of address. – or because of the doubts that the traffic collapse could generate.
The influx during the morning is not that of a conventional All Saints’ Day / Miguel Angel Montesinos
In fact, the crossing between South Bulevar and Gaspar Aguilar Avenue is extremely high risk because the large avenue is the closest passage to access the southern towns and yesterday it was full of vehicles. At the moment, due to this general atony, there is traffic jam, but it is controlled. The Local Police have been stationed at the intersection to prevent the traffic jam from getting worse.
In fact, the city council has combined the opening of the cemetery with the recommendation not to go by private vehicle and to use the reinforcement of buses, as well as the shuttle that leaves from Periodista Azzati street. Despite this, the largest parking lot, the one that runs parallel to the Boulevard and Sector 19, is already full, as well as the small parking lot in front of San Isidro. Although this presence is not enough for the sections of the General Cemetery to register, at least for the moment, the absolute fullness of other times. Among other things, also, because a part of these vehicles are not visitors to the Cemetery, but rather members of the authentic army of residents or volunteers who travel to the towns of the south to carry out the work of clearing debris.
The hot spot at the junction between Bulevar Sur and Gaspar Aguilar / Miguel Angel Montesinos
Flowers and shovels
In fact, people who arrive with flower arrangements coexist with those carrying shovels, brooms and buckets. The noise of sirens is permanent throughout the area and breaks the silence of the cemetery.
The doubts generated by the opening or not, together with some supply problems due to the lack of communication, have led to unusual situations, such as the absence of street vendors at the main doors. Yes, the permanent stores are open.
The fact that the cemeteries have been closed during these days has been an exercise in common sense, although not for everyone. It is known that there have been verbal confrontations – curiously carried out by older people – who have taken advantage of the funerals to enter the premises. And, with the doors closed, the only thing that had been authorized were conventional funeral services.
The human flood runs along the South Boulevard / Miguel Angel Montesinos
Schedules and services
The municipal cemeteries – General, Cabanyal, Campanar, Grau, Benimámet, Massarrojos and El Palmar – will maintain until Sunday, November 3, the special opening hours to the public that were planned, on the occasion of the celebration of the November 1 festival: from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sundays and holidays included.
In this context, it is worth remembering that the Municipal Transport Company, EMT, has reinforced the access service to cemeteries: lines 9, 10, 18 and 99 of the EMT, until tomorrow, Friday, November 1. Likewise, there will be a special service from Periodista Azzati Street to the main door of the General Cemetery, using the Municipal Crematorium dock to regulate its service, and another that will circulate from the Municipal Mortuary to the expansion of the cemetery parallel to V-30.
