The idea is from two people from Italy.
Funerals can be really expensive and complicated with all the coffins, graves, and headstones. Plus, they seem really old-fashioned.
But two designers from Italy have a new idea that totally changes how we think about funerals.
Anna Citelli and Raoul Bretzel created “Capsula Mundi.” These small capsules hold bodies in a fetal position. It’s an unusual and fascinating idea called The Capsula Mundi project.
The capsule is made of eco-friendly material, and as time passes, it turns the body into a tree.
How does it work? Easy! First, the body is put into the capsule and buried underground.
Instead of a cross or headstone, a seed or small tree is planted above the capsule.
And before you pass away, you can pick which type of tree you want to become, just like choosing a coffin in a regular funeral.
As time goes on, your body turns into food for the tree, helping it grow without any interruptions.
According to capsulamundi.it, this is the first project aiming to make green cemeteries in our country. The Capsula Mundi is buried like a seed, and a tree is planted above it. You pick the tree while you’re alive, and your loved ones look after it after you pass away.
The people behind the project say that instead of having lots of crosses and headstones in the cemetery, it will turn into a special forest.
In simple terms, these capsules might one day replace cemeteries with forests or parks where families can go to look after the trees that remember their loved ones.
Anna Citelli and Raoul Bretzel say that Capsula Mundi helps trees stay alive and suggests planting more trees. By planting different types of trees together, they create a forest. It’s a place where kids can learn about trees and where you can peacefully walk to remember your loved ones.
Sadly, even though it came from Italy, this way of burying people isn’t allowed there yet, possibly because of the Pope’s influence in Rome. But in the United States and England, it’s legal and already working well.