#77 All Souls, i morti and other things to do with death

Making friends with death: part 4

Hello friend,

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Since we celebrated the Day of the Dead (la festa dei morti) on the second of November, I've been sharing some insights into mortality in Sicily; this is my final post about this dark but fascinating subject before we move on to something more uplifting and less depressing.

In the same graveyard where I found the final resting place of my great-grandparents, there is another grave which tells a poignant story. It is not a relative's grave but an abandoned crypt that belongs to the last member of a wealthy family, a decorated general who lived in the nineteenth century.

The General wasn't famous, so it's not worth mentioning his name. He is buried in a small corner of the cemetery, and at the foot of his tombstone is a statue of a dog, his faithful companion. The dog, a pug, is buried at the feet of the general, having died only a few days more than his master. It is touching to see such a personal monument to a faithful animal resting in eternity with his master…