Thursday, March 15
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| The crowded cemetery in Carinola. |
As much as we like life here in San Salvatore, something I
read online makes us discuss moving to a village in Southern Italy which,
according to La Stampa, has recently passed an interesting new law. As of March 2, 2012,
ordinance 9 prohibits the residents of Falciano del Massico from dying. Here is the text of the ordinance: “. . . è
fatto divieto, per quanto nelle possibilità di ciascuno, ai cittadini residenti
o comunque di passaggio di oltrepassare il confine della vita terrena per
andare nell'aldilà.” This translates to “. . . it is made forbidden, as much as
possible for each person, for residents or whomever to pass beyond the
boundaries of life to go to the afterlife.”
Mayor Giulio Cesare Fava explains that the town lacks a cemetery
and has been using the one of the comune next door, Carinola. However, the municipalities
have been engaging in a big brother-little brother political feud for many
years, and as of now, they aren’t speaking to each other. The cemetery has no
more room. Fava says Carinola was planning to expand the cemetery, but because
of ongoing disagreements, nothing has happened. “It hasn’t started, and we don’t
know why,” he says. “They don’t inform us of their acts.”
Fava, who is a cardiologist and thus considered by town
residents doubly qualified to enact the new ordinance, wants to see Falciano
build its own cemetery to solve the problem, and some Falcianesi have offered their
land. But building a proper cemetery will take time and considerable expense,
and there will likely be a lawsuit by Carinola, because in the past Falciano
had agreed to contribute to the expansion of the Carinola cemetery. In the
meantime, Fava says most citizens are pleased with the new law. “The ordinance
has brought happiness,” he says. “Some say that the problems were all resolved
with a simple administrative act.”
It is well known that Italians love to pass laws to make
their lives more orderly, and in principal, the citizens agree with this aspect
of Italian culture. However, it is impossible to live within all the laws the
government imposes, and this is so in Falciano as well. Fava says two elderly
residents have already violated the law, and it looks like these “conscientious
objectors” are going to get away with it. The mayor conceded that he is not planning
to fine them.
Sources:
Can we move with you?
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