Coffins, cemeteries, headstones, and everything else associated to funerals are extremely intricate and expensive! Not to mention how out-of-date they are.
Two Italian designers have created a one-of-a-kind idea that fundamentally redefines typical funerals.
Anna Citelli and Raoul Bretzel, in particular, devised “Capsula Mundi,” miniature capsules in which departed bodies would be enclosed in the fetal position. The Capsula Mundi project is a unique and fascinating concept.
The organic capsule is constructed of 100% biodegradable material, which eventually converts the departed corpse into a tree.
How is that possible? Simple! First, the body is placed in a fetal posture and buried in the ground.
A seed or budding sapling is planted above the capsule in place of a cross or headstone.
In fact, when you believe the end is near, you can choose the species of tree into which you want to transform yourself, exactly like you would at a typical funeral, by giving instructions and selecting the model of the coffin.
As time passes, your body transforms into nutrients that will feed the tree, allowing it to grow uninterrupted.
“This is the first project designed to promote the creation of green cemeteries in our country,” according to the capsulamundi.it website. “The Capsula Mundi is buried in the ground like a seed, and the tree is planted above it. The tree must be chosen by the respective person during their lifetime, and their friends and relatives will take care of it after their death.
The cemetery will no longer be full of crosses and headstones, but will become a sacred forest,” write the project initiators.
Essentially, these capsules could eventually replace cemeteries with forests or memorial parks, where families could enter and care for the tree of their loved ones.
“Capsula Mundi saves the lives of trees and even proposes the planting of others. By planting different trees next to each other, a forest will be created. A place where children can learn more about trees. It is also a place where you can walk in peace to remember your loved ones,” say Anna Citelli and Raoul Bretzel.
Unfortunately, although it is an Italian concept, this burial method is not yet permitted in Italy (I think the Pope in Rome has had a say in this), but there are places in the United States and England where the concept is legal and already enjoying success.