The Albufeira Crematorium, the first to be created in the Algarve, should open next March. However, and although the space has not yet been officially opened, cremations are already taking place there, at least since January, as he found out O Sul Informação.
A source from the Albufeira City Council's Office confirmed the situation to our newspaper, saying that "one or two cremations were carried out, on an experimental basis", despite the licensing process not yet fully concluded.
"A certificate is missing, but it will be resolved this week," said the same source.
O Sul Informação he knows, however, that more than "one or two" were made. From what our newspaper found out, at least four cremations have already taken place there, handled by different funeral directors from across the Algarve region.
These cremations will have served “to test the machines”. Despite this, as acknowledged by the municipal source, “it is only possible to have full functioning after all the certificates”.
Num recent assessment of what this mandate has been, José Carlos Rolo, mayor of Albufeira, told the Sul Informação that the Crematorium, located next to the Vale Pedras Cemetery, should “become operational in March”.
The mayor also reinforced the issue that "tests are being carried out" to see if everything is operational.
It is certain that this will be the first Crematorium in the region, although another one is already being built, in Faro. The contract for the award of the work, which costs 600 thousand euros, was signed at the end of 2017.
The company that won the tender was Cremal – Cremações do Algarve, which will have the concession of the space for 30 years, being obliged to deliver to the City Council, every month, a financial compensation, resulting from the occupation of the space and the number of cremations carried out .
«The future structure will occupy 399 square meters (m2) of gross area, on a single floor, with a total area of about 350 m2 and will initially employ three people», as the municipality's municipality explained.
The project contemplates “the construction of an ecumenical chapel measuring about 79 m2 and a farewell room”. Outside, “the Jardim da Memória will be built, where a herbaceous mixture of dryland meadow and a vertical garden with blue flowering vines and a jacaranda will be planted”.
Another outdoor space will be the Jardim do Cendrário. In other words, the place of excellence for the deposition of ashes that are not requested and that, in addition to the dryland meadow, will have an olive tree (symbol of peace and purification) and a laurel (symbol of the triumph of life and wisdom) .
"This plant consists of a buried and watertight deposit with about 50 centimeters in diameter", according to the municipality.
The crematorium fills the gap in the Vale Pedras Cemetery, inaugurated in 1990.
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