ABSTRACT
The first crematorium in Portugal, at Alto de Sao Joao Cemetery in Lisbon, was reopened in 1985 after a long period of closure. The second crematorium in Portugal was built in Oporto, 1995, at Prado do Repouso Cemetery. No official statistics exist on the total number of cremations performed in Portugal each year. Cremation in Portugal remains mostly an urban phenomenon: in Lisbon and Oporto, the two largest cities in Portugal, cremation rates are over twice the national rate; in 2011, cremation accounted for 51.3% of all funerals in the city of Lisbon, and 47% of all funerals in the city of Oporto. The crematorium at Prado do Repouso Cemetery, in Oporto, marks the shift toward a more modern, utilitarian design. A crematorium may differ from a funerary center in terms of amenities.
