Pelé's mausoleum in Brazil opens to public
The mausoleum built in a Santos vertical cemetery for the golden casket of Pelé has opened to the public
Pelé's mausoleum in Brazil opens to public
Show all 6Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The mausoleum built for the golden casket of Pelé was opened for visitors on Monday.
On the second floor of a vertical cemetery in Santos, outside Sao Paulo, the mausoleum welcomes fans with two golden statues of Pelé; the floor is artificial grass; the walls are images of fans in a stadium; and there's an endless soundtrack of cheers, as if Pelé was still playing. The ceiling above the casket of the three-time World Cup champion is blue.
Pelé was laid to rest here on Jan. 3, five days after he died at age 82 of colon cancer.
“This was made with a lot of love by people who knew him, who lived with him. It has the essence of what he was,” an emotional Edson Cholbi do Nascimento, one of Pelé’s sons, said after a small ceremony with family and friends.
The mausoleum was planned by the owner of the cemetery, Pepe Alstut, who died in 2018.
Alstut hoped the mausoleum would be on the ninth floor, overseeing the Santos club's Vila Belmiro Stadium, where Pelé starred for 18 years. His family, instead, buried him on the second floor so fans could have better access.
“I am shaking. The energy of this place is surreal,” said Erica Nascimento, a tearful 42-year-old economist.
Former footballer Roberto Milano, 56, was also moved.
“He is part of my life," Milano said. "As we grow old we need to follow the best role models. Maybe he was the biggest of them all of these role models.”
Fans willing to attend must book a time on the Memorial cemetery website.
Pelé led Brazil to World Cup titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970. He is the only player to win it three times. Last month, a Brazilian dictionary added “Pelé” as an adjective to use when describing someone who is “exceptional, incomparable, unique.” The announcement by the Michaelis dictionary was part of a campaign that gathered more than 125,000 signatures to honor the late soccer great’s impact.
____
AP journalist Mauricio Savarese in Sao Paulo contributed.
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.