First stone laid in build of Formentera's funeral parlour, the 'tanatori'

Foto primera pedra tanatoriCiF president Jaume Ferrer and Vanessa Parellada, the island's chief of social welfare, kicked off construction of Formentera's tanatori. The project will get under way next week and is on track to be completed within eight months.

President Ferrer said he was pleased to take part, symbolically, as the build of the “essential local resource” gets under way. He called Formentera's actual funeral parlour obsolete, and incapable of meeting even the minimum standards to comfortably administer the "critical service”.

Meanwhile, Secretary Parellada pledged the upgrade would mean being able to bid farewell to loved ones with dignity. The tanatori, she said, will also be a place for civil memorial services.

Location and characteristics
The future funeral home will be located beside Sant Francesc's municipal cemetery, and within an area that comprises the island's hospital, elderly care centre and future assisted-living residence. The 460-square-metre (m2) installation will include:

Receiving lounge (90m2) serving as an entry hall, waiting area and ceremony space.
Two 40m2 halls for viewing ceremonies.
Autopsy gallery (52m2).
Store shed and parking area (80m2).
Office space (24m2)
Public washrooms (15m2)

Hermanos Parrot and Tecopsa will take on the project, for which they will be paid €660,690.30, as UTE 7 Tanatorio. Xavier Pallejà is the project's architect.

Also at the ceremony were Formentera's representative in Palma, Sílvia Tur, CiF vice-president Susana Labrador, infrastructure secretary Rafael González, sports secretary Jordi Vidal, local PSOE reps Ana Juan and Rafael Ramírez and Compromís spokeswoman Cristina Costa.