cementeri Municipal del Campello

Cementerio Municipal del Campello is the municipal cemetery of El Campello, a coastal town in the province of Alicante, and has served as the town's main burial ground for nearly ninety years.

When was the cemetery established?

The cemetery opened in 1937, during the Spanish Civil War. It replaced an earlier parish cemetery located at La Illeta, a former fishing settlement and one of the historic cores of El Campello. The move to a new site coincided with the town's growth in the early twentieth century: El Campello only became an independent municipality on 18 April 1901, having previously been a district of Alicante.

Who is buried here?

More than 6,000 people have been interred at the cemetery to date. Among them are the parents and grandparents of Rafael Altamira, the prominent Spanish jurist, historian and writer whose family had close ties to El Campello. Altamira, a leading figure in Spanish legal scholarship at the turn of the twentieth century, is honoured today through several institutions and streets named after him in the region, underlining the cemetery's role in preserving local historical memory.

Why is the cemetery being expanded?

As El Campello's population has grown rapidly in recent decades — the town is one of the faster-growing municipalities on the Costa Blanca — the existing cemetery grounds have struggled to keep pace with demand. The town council has taken several steps to secure additional burial space. Fifteen new burial niches (nichos) have been built, and the municipality has also carried out a review to reclaim abandoned or untitled niches so they can be reassigned to residents in need.

At the same time, the council is planning an entirely new cemetery covering approximately 90,000 square metres, intended to relieve pressure on the current facility and meet the needs of a growing population for decades to come. Until the new site is completed, Cementerio Municipal del Campello remains the town's only operating municipal cemetery.

How does the cemetery operate day to day?

The cemetery falls under the direct administration of El Campello town hall, which sets its opening hours, including extended special hours around the Todos los Santos (All Saints') holiday in early November — a period of increased visits to family graves, in keeping with Spanish tradition. For the rest of the year, the site follows the standard schedule set by the local administration.

Frequently asked questions

Since when has Cementerio Municipal del Campello been in operation? Since 1937, when it replaced the earlier parish cemetery at La Illeta.

How many people are buried there? An estimated more than 6,000 people.

Is the cemetery still being expanded? Yes — new burial niches have been built, unused plots are being reviewed and reclaimed, and the council is planning a much larger new cemetery.

Who notable is buried here? The parents and grandparents of Rafael Altamira, the Spanish jurist and writer connected to El Campello.

Can the cemetery be visited? It is an active municipal cemetery, open during hours set by the town hall, with extended hours around All Saints' Day.