We waited until a day when the sun and heat were not as intense to make the walk down to the town’s cemetery to visit Luigina. Our cousin was much loved in Torre Orsina. There’s a large bulletin board, by what was once a bus stop, which posts notices of all sorts, but mainly death notices. Luigina has not one, but four different notices, generated by various family members and friends, which announced her passing on June 3rd at the age of 95.
The walk is short and peaceful. The cemetery is small and tidy, so after a bit of searching we find her perched at the very top corner of the second bank of tombs. Her marble plaque is clean and shiny with engraved lettering announcing her name and dates of birth and death. A marble cross, eternal light, and vase are attached to the plaque and three small pots with plants have been left on the ledge. She always had an infectious smile, and a beautiful photo of her is enameled on her tomb. She’ll be missed, especially by Virgilio, her husband, who will turn 106 on September 2nd but without any celebration this year as he is still in mourning.
We walk around the rest of the cemetery and check on my family crypt. The iron gate is secured with a rusty pin, and after a few pulls it creeks open. The inside is not elaborate – just a few tombs without decoration. A couple photos sit on the shelf with dust gathering in the corners. Some dried flowers signify that someone must have been here since our last visit in 2015 when Cinzia cleaned and swept the crypt. We close the gate, insert the rusty pin, and wander around a bit before making our way back up the hill, into the Buchi, emerging in the piazzetta to walk the length of the Borgo and finally hike to our place in the Colle.
We walk around the rest of the cemetery and check on my family crypt. The iron gate is secured with a rusty pin, and after a few pulls it creeks open. The inside is not elaborate – just a few tombs without decoration. A couple photos sit on the shelf with dust gathering in the corners. Some dried flowers signify that someone must have been here since our last visit in 2015 when Cinzia cleaned and swept the crypt. We close the gate, insert the rusty pin, and wander around a bit before making our way back up the hill, into the Buchi, emerging in the piazzetta to walk the length of the Borgo and finally hike to our place in the Colle.