Cemeteries host special burial areas

During All Saints' Day, Corsicans visit cemeteries to honor their loved ones by placing flowers, candles, and chrysanthemums on graves. In some cemeteries, such as those in Montesoro and Ondina in Bastia, there are "common grounds," also known as "poor people's plots," where individuals without the means for a traditional burial are laid to rest.

Common grounds serve a specific purpose

Sandrine Memi, director of the city's cemeteries, explains that these areas belong to the city and are used for people who cannot afford a burial or lack a family vault. She emphasizes that it is important for everyone to have a burial, regardless of their financial situation, and notes that more people are dying alone without family or resources.

Burials on common grounds are not only for the indigent

In Bastia, about five burials occur annually on the common ground. While some individuals are truly indigent, others may have the means but simply did not plan for a vault or have a family vault available. Sandrine Memi clarifies that not all people buried there are without resources.

A formal process governs burials on common grounds

Burials on the common ground follow a strict procedure. Hospitals or funeral homes request an indigence file, which involves an investigation to determine if the deceased has family or financial means. If not, the burial proceeds, but the remains are not left there permanently.

Burials on common grounds are temporary

The land in the common ground belongs to the city, not the family. After five years, the city may exhume the remains and place them in an ossuary if no solution is found. Families are notified, and efforts are made to find a suitable resting place or vault.

Respect is given to all individuals

Despite the temporary nature of the burial, the city ensures that everyone is treated with dignity. Funeral homes are commissioned to conduct standard burials, and friends or family may visit. The city emphasizes that every person, regardless of their situation, deserves a respectful burial. Some staff even know the deceased by their first names.

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