ABSTRACT
The vast majority of cemeteries are established and managed, as stated, by the public sector. Protestant communities in Lisbon, Oporto, or Funchal retain the management of their own cemeteries, which date back to the 18th century. City councils and civil parish councils are tasked with building, expanding, improving, and promoting the normal functioning of public cemeteries. The general organization of Portuguese cemeteries follows Decree 44220, but there is some room for variation. All cemeteries must be constructed to accommodate specific areas, such as temporary graves, perpetual graves, tombs, ossuaries, and green spaces. It is difficult to present a definitive typology of graves one might find in Portuguese cemeteries, because different criteria will bring forth different nomenclatures. National legislation favors a temporal perspective. In cemeteries where burial space is still readily available, the majority of burials take place in in-ground graves, which are usually backfilled on the day of the funeral.
