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The Memorial Necropole Ecumênica in Santos
Photo: Ricardo Moreira/Getty Images
Brazilian football legend Pelé is buried in a high-rise cemetery in the port city of Santos.
After the funeral service at the Estádio Urbano Caldeira, his body will be taken to the Memorial Necrópole Ecumênica next Tuesday, where he will be buried with his immediate family, his long-time club FC Santos announced.
Several relatives of Pelé and his strike partner Coutinho are already buried in the cemetery building.
The memorial was erected in 1991 by Argentine entrepreneur José Salomon Altstut and, according to the Guinness Book of Records, is the tallest cemetery building in the world.
The resting place in the Marapé district has around 16,000 graves on 14 floors and is open 24 hours and 365 days a year.
Relatives who have traveled far can stay in suites, there is a small restaurant and a nurse is available 24 hours a day.
"It's a place that exudes peace of mind and tranquility, where you don't feel depressed and doesn't even look like a graveyard," Pele once said in an interview.
bka/dpa