The designers at Capsula Mundi had a goal to show that death is an opportunity to nourish the Earth for the future.

What if that cemetery full of granite and stone could be replaced by a sacred forest?

An Italian company, Capsula Mundi, is working on just that. Anna Citelli and Raoul Bretzel, both designers, have developed an entirely new casket that promotes the greening of cemeteries. This casket takes on one of nature's most perfect and organic shapes, the egg.

The Capsula Mundi is planted into the earth just as you would a seed and a tree is planted directly on top. The idea is that the larger the tree grows the more its roots will envelope the egg-shaped capsule as it decomposes. The tree will then serve as a memorial for the deceased as opposed to a tombstone.

In order to fit properly into the egg shape the deceased must be placed into a fetal position. Seeing as this is how we come into the world, leaving it the same way‚ conveys more of a completed cycle of life than that of a traditional burial.

The tree is meant to represent the union between man and the Earth. Usually, to build a casket you would cut down a tree and process the valuable wood while the Capsula Mundi is made from 100% biodegradable materials. The starches used to make up the bioplastic container are taken from seasonal plants such as potatoes and corn. Not only does the Capsula Mundi save the life of a tree, it gives life to another one.

You can choose any type of tree that you wish, usually the company suggests making this decision as part of your pre-planning needs. This advice is simply to assure that this is what the person wanted. If grandma had an allergy to pine trees she may not have been thrilled at the idea of essentially becoming one.

Currently Italian legislation will not allow any burial that does not use a wood casket that is tinned. Associazione Capsula Mundi believes this law does not properly portray the Italian culture or what the general public wants. Their aim is to have the legislator change the law so that the project for this innovative new way of burial can be completed and hopefully become a preferred option for people to choose when they are planning their sendoffs. It is the hope of Associazione Capsula Mundi that the cemeteries of the future will be all natural parks and forests filled with memorial trees.

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