Meliana Municipal Cemetery

Meliana Municipal Cemetery is a small, still-active municipal burial ground located in the town of Meliana, in the L'Horta Nord region just north of Valencia, on Spain's eastern coast. It serves as the main resting place for the town's residents and is managed as part of the local council's public infrastructure.

When was the cemetery founded?

The cemetery dates back to 1816, making it one of the older public facilities in the municipality. Over the following two centuries it grew alongside Meliana itself, a town that sits within the Valencia metropolitan area on the banks of the Turia river.

What does the cemetery's infrastructure look like today?

In recent years the town council carried out a broad modernization of the site, since several of its facilities had gone without major renovation for around forty years. The works improved accessibility for visitors with reduced mobility, refurbished the restrooms and staff offices, and expanded storage space. Pathway paving was also renewed, and landscaping upkeep was extended to the cemetery's older sections.

Have new burial spaces been added?

Yes. The council completed a new phase of expansion, adding 60 burial niches and 48 columbaria for cremated remains. The investment, worth over 59,000 euros, responds to growing local demand for burial space, including the increasing popularity of cremation.

Where exactly is the cemetery located?

The site sits within the municipal boundaries of Meliana, at coordinates near 39.52°N, -0.35°E. Meliana lies just a few kilometers north of central Valencia, in a traditionally fertile area historically known for vegetable and citrus farming, characteristic of the wider Horta valenciana region.

Does the cemetery hold historical significance for local residents?

As the oldest and only municipal cemetery in the town, it has served as the burial site for successive generations of Meliana residents for more than two hundred years. It also functions as a point of reference for local family memory, with many households in town tracing ancestral graves back to the 19th and 20th centuries.

Frequently asked questions

Is the cemetery open to visitors? As an active municipal cemetery, it is accessible during opening hours set by Meliana's town council, in line with how most Spanish municipal cemeteries operate.

Are there columbaria on site? Yes, a recent expansion added 48 new columbaria alongside the traditional burial niches.

How do you get to the Meliana cemetery? The cemetery is located within the town of Meliana, which is well connected to Valencia thanks to its proximity to the city center and the local road network of the L'Horta Nord region.

Has the cemetery undergone recent renovation? Yes, a comprehensive infrastructure upgrade was carried out in recent years, covering accessibility, sanitary facilities, and pathway surfaces.

Though modest in size, Meliana Municipal Cemetery remains an important part of the town's civic fabric, combining a practical role with that of a keeper of local memory in this town near Valencia.