what is the “largest vertical cemetery in the world” where the footballer is buried?

Even when it comes to his grave, Pele remains the man of all records. The legendary Brazilian soccer player was buried in early January, in the largest vertical cemetery in the world, according to the book book of records record. This is the Memorial Necrópole Ecumênica, in Santos, Brazil, a few kilometers from where the soccer star forged much of his legend. This 14-story vertical cemetery opened its doors to the public on Monday, May 15. This building has about 14,000 seats, and looks like a luxury hotel or a luxurious building.

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With palm trees, cool white tiled floors and leather sofas, the property has a 24-hour restaurant, an aviary, luxurious funeral rooms and a chapel. Not to mention a tropical garden and a waterfall on the hillside. In total, the cemetery claims to have around 14,000 places for coffins and urns for the deceased. The building intrigues and fascinates: an Internet user has even carried out a particularly extensive virtual guided tour of the corridors of the plant and in particular of its funeral home and its ossuary on Google Maps.

In terms of history, this vertical cemetery was built in 1983 by the Argentine architect Pepe Altstut, with the ambition of solving a recurring problem in the Santos region.

At that time, many funerals took place “in the middle of the mud”, due to groundwater problems, reads the site of the plant, which also largely pays homage to “Oh King“, Pele, on his homepage.

In a documentary A grave with a view (shown at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival), the architect told director Ryan J. Noth that the building’s design was a “personally rewarding experience“. is in front of “positive feedback“, he says he was encouraged to develop the Necropolis as he went along.

Already in 2003 Edson Arantes do Nascimento, who died on December 29, 2022 at the age of 82 following colon cancer, had also reserved seats for him and his family. The player had confided in his time that he had chosen this place “that doesn’t look like a cemetery” for its “tranquillity”, to the local newspaper To the grandstand.

A classic car exhibition on the ground floor

After more than 230,000 people paid their respects in front of the coffin during a 24-hour wake at Santos Football Club’s Vila Belmiro stadium, where the triple world champion spent most of his career, from 1956 to 1974, the of the footballer were transported through the streets of the city – not far from Pelé’s centenary mother – before being buried in this ecumenical necropolis, during a “private ceremony”.

Pelé will rest on the ninth floor, next to his father, in reference to the number João Ramos do Nascimento wore when he was also a footballer. He will also be joined by his brother, Jair Arantes do Nascimento, who died in 2020, and his daughter, Sandra Arantes do Nascimento, in 2006, according to the site of the main Brazilian TV channel, Globe.

Football fans can now pay their last respects to the champion and visit a “vehicle museum”: you can admire a collection of motorcycles and vintage cars on the ground floor, “next to a garden and a chapel”, indicates the site of the Memorial Necrópole Ecumênica. And in this collection there is also a Mercedes Benz 280-S from 1974 “given to Pelé by the German car manufacturer, on the occasion of the thousandth goal of the king of soccer”, scored in 1969 by the footballer.