Alto de São João Cemetery, Cemetery in Penha de França, Lisbon, Portugal.
The Alto de São João Cemetery is Lisbon's first municipal cemetery, laid out along a straight central path lined with above-ground tombs and mausoleums. On the right, pale stone tombs with flat tops, low iron railings and planted flowers face taller white monuments with arched doors and carved finials on the left. The tombs recede toward a low wall at the far end.
The cemetery was founded in 1833 during a cholera outbreak and was originally called the Eastern Cemetery of Lisbon. It was later renamed to its current designation.
The cemetery holds burial sites of notable figures from literature, arts, and politics. Visitors walking through can find the resting places of people who shaped Portuguese cultural life.
The grounds are accessible on foot with paths connecting the different sections. Visitors should expect longer walks and possibly uneven surfaces in some areas.
The cemetery's crematorium, built in 1925 as Portugal's first, was shut down in 1936 for political and religious reasons. It reopened in 1985 after pressure from Lisbon's Hindu community. José Saramago and Álvaro Cunhal were later cremated here.
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