Governance and Funding
Governance and Funding
The Non-Catholic Cemetery in Rome is governed by a board of 15 ambassadors accredited to Italy and resident in Rome, most of them from countries with large Protestant or Greek and Russian Orthodox communities.
In 2005, at the then Director’s request, ICCROM (the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property), an intergovernmental organization with its headquarters in Rome, made recommendations to the Assembly of ambassadors for the long-term management and preservation of the Cemetery. The board of ambassadors accepted these recommendations which are now being implemented.
One of its recommendations was the appointment of a permanent advisory committee of experts to advise on finance, legal matters, fund raising, conservation and art history – this committee currently has five members. Additional members may be appointed by the board as necessary.
In 2008, following advertisement of the post, the Assembly appointed the current Director, Amanda Thursfield, who reports to its President, aided by the Advisory Committee. The Assembly meets twice a year to consider progress reports and the accounts of the Cemetery audited in accordance with the requirements of Italian law.
At present the cemetery has four sources of income:
- From people who buy concessions for burial spaces in the cemetery. These last for 30 years and are renewable.
- From the annual fees paid by the concession-holders for upkeep and maintenance.
- From burial charges.
- From donations. These include voluntary contributions from visitors as well as donations from embassies, private foundations, and Friends and legacies [How You Can Help Us]
Some two-thirds of the historic graves no longer provide any income. The high cost of conserving and restoring these therefore falls to the Cemetery. The mixed success in meeting this large maintenance task had been such that in 2005 the World Monuments Fund added the Cemetery to its Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered Sites in the World.
Since then a fund-raising appeal has been launched through the founding of The Friends of the Cemetery. Funds raised from Friends are held in a separate bank account under the control of the Assembly, and are devoted to such costs as tomb restoration, tree cutting and printing of a regular newsletter.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
The information given here is based on an explanation of two official documents, the Statute of the Non-Catholic Cemetery in Rome (revised 2018) and the Cemetery Regulations (revised 2020). In any question of interpretation, these two documents take precedence over the text below.
Who owns the Non-Catholic Cemetery?
The Non-Catholic Cemetery is privately managed under the responsibility of an association formed by 15 Embassies in Rome which have nationals buried in the Cemetery. The Embassies are: Australia – Canada – Denmark – Germany – Finland – Greece – Ireland – Netherlands – Norway – Russian Federation – South Africa – Sweden – Switzerland – United Kingdom – United States of America.
How is the Cemetery funded?
The Cemetery is entirely self-supporting through the fees charged for the concession of plots for burial, and from the annual maintenance payments that concession-holders pay. It also relies on private contributions and grants to pay for essential conservation and maintenance work.
How can I contribute to the Cemetery?
We ask you to contribute at least €5.00 each for your visit. You may like also to become a Friend of the Cemetery. Brochures about membership are available in the Visitor Centre.
Friends of the Non-catholic cemetery
If you love this place, please can you help us by becoming a Friend of the Non-Catholic Cemetery in Rome? Your financial contribution will be used directly for meeting our long-term goals of keeping the Cemetery the beautiful and tranquil place that it is. In 2008-09 the Friends helped to fund the printing and distribution of the regular Newsletter, a risk assessment study of the Cemetery’s trees, and the restoration of some of its important tombs.
