Lodovico Brunetti, the Unknown Father of Modern Crematorium

The cremation has been documented since prehistoric times and it was a common funerary custom until the advent of Catholicism. Falling into disuse, during XVII–XVIII centuries there were new movements to bring it back according to modern criteria, mainly due to hygienic reasons and cemeteries overcr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Omega: Journal of Death and Dying 2023-12, Vol.88 (2), p.410-424
Main Authors: Magno, Giovanni, Zampieri, Fabio, Zanatta, Alberto
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Catholicism
Cemeteries
Cremation
Inventions
Ovens
Overcrowding
Prehistoric era
Religion
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Summary:The cremation has been documented since prehistoric times and it was a common funerary custom until the advent of Catholicism. Falling into disuse, during XVII–XVIII centuries there were new movements to bring it back according to modern criteria, mainly due to hygienic reasons and cemeteries overcrowding. This also led to the prototyping of new crematory ovens to improve the ancient open-air pyre. Lodovico Brunetti was the first to carry out a crematory experimental research in the modern countries. Since Brunetti's studies were based on the study of ancient cremations, a comparison with a modern experience of reconstruction of archaeological cremation is presented to evaluate the validity of his crematorium oven. Furthermore, the social and religious aspects related to Brunetti's inventions and the revitalization of cremation shows how tools and technologies and also the cultural environment have evolved over the years, effectively accepting the cremation practice as an alternative to inhumation.
ISSN:0030-2228
1541-3764
DOI:10.1177/00302228211045203