In the past, parish churches in Mallorcan pueblos were the place where the dead were buried, right in the middle of the place of worship. Several hundred years ago, village communities were small, churches for some reason were well proportioned and there was enough space for a sufficient number of tombs. When, over the years, more space was required than was available, a graveyard was created bang outside of the Esglèsia Parroquial. My photo shows one such Cementiri de la Vila in Campos del Port, adjoining the parish church of Sant Julià. Only under the influence of Napoleonic authority and guidance was it deemed appropriate to move the municipal cemeteries away from the town centre and to the outskirts of the village boundaries, which is where nowadays Mallorca’s burghers bury their dead.

The photo was taken in Campos del Port, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: May 8th, 2010. The time was 14:09:42.