Italian Cremation Registry.

The Italian Cremation Registry was founded on June 9, 2014, as a voluntary, non-profit organization with the aim of promoting the rite of cremation and the ethical, social, and cultural values ​​that inspire it throughout Italy.

This mission is carried out nationwide through legal recognition obtained from the competent authorities, fully respecting the dignity of the deceased and the grief of their relatives. To achieve this, the Italian Cremation Registry actively works to guarantee the right of choice for each of its members, protecting—including through legal proceedings—the wishes for cremation and the possible scattering of ashes, in accordance with current legislation.

Furthermore, it promotes and actively participates in the diffusion of cremation culture because it believes, beyond the tradition, history, and politics of funeral rites, that the choice of cremation is one of the elements inherent to contemporary man and his changed relationship with death and life, both physically and spiritually.

Pursuant to Law No. 130 of 2001, which abolished the obligation to store ashes in Italian cemeteries, the methods of conservation are regulated in accordance with the deceased’s wishes. In the registration form for the Italian Cremation Registry, a dedicated section allows members to indicate which family member will be entrusted with the home conservation of the ashes. Members of the Italian Cremation Registry also benefit from a dedicated legal consultancy service to address questions or critical issues that cannot be readily resolved by law and which, due to their human and existential complexities, require firm and reliable support.

Unlike cremation alone and the entrustment of ashes, the decision regarding the dispersal of ashes is up to the deceased alone. Registration in the dedicated section of the Italian Cremation Registry allows the member to declare their wish for dispersal and indicate the desired location, delegating this role to a family member, the executor of the will, or the legal representative of the Italian Cremation Registry. Before the introduction of Law No. 130 of March 30, 2001, the practice of dispersal was not permitted in Italy. Today, however, it can be carried out in reserved areas both within cemeteries and in certain spaces outside of cemeteries, such as in nature and even within the perimeter of private properties. This latter choice must be made with the consent of the owners and is not for profit. Strict limitations prevent dispersion from occurring in urban centres, while in water (rivers, seas and lakes) it is permitted beyond the stretches occupied by vessels or buildings: it is therefore necessary to go at least half a mile from the coast (in lakes 100 m from the shore), just as in mountain areas it is necessary to respect a distance of approximately 200 metres from residential settlements.