Burial Location

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Go Back to Step 4: Monuments     Return to the Project Overview        Move on to Step 5: Porta Romana Necropolis

Step 5: Decide where you want to be buried.   Once you know the type of monument you are going to build, you must next decide where that monument will appear.  Consult the maps in class and on the class website to choose a suitable site in your price range.  Prices are per square foot and vary by necropolis and zone within the necropolis (generally, closer to the city and to the road is more expensive because these areas are more visible to passersby).  The dimensions of the plot should be large enough to contain your entire monument.  It is also not uncommon to purchase a larger area so that your monument is not cramped.

A necropolis is a city of the dead, a place that has been designated for burials.  Because Roman law prohibited people from being buried within the city limits, people buried their loved ones in monuments along the roads leading out of town. 

The following are some guidelines for deciding on the dimensions of your burial plot.

• Cippus: a few feet square (2x2 or 3x3 most common) to accomodate the inscription and the urn
• Funerary altar: a little larger than just a cippus.  Larger altars will require a larger plot.  3x3 or 4x4 should be fine in most cases.
• Columbarium: determined by the dimensions of the monument
• Miniature columbarium: this will depend on the size of the monument.  Miniature columbaria must be smaller than 5 feet in any dimension, so 6x6 would be the largest possible plot size.
• Monument over a chamber: determined by the dimensions of the monument
• Large monument: determined by the dimensions of the monument

Plot sizes (and monuments) do not have to be square.

Plots will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.  If the zone you wish is full, you will be given the zone that is closest to your original choice.  Plots that extend beyond the limits of the chosen zone will be charged based on the price of the chosen zone.