Vélez-Málaga’s municipal cemetery has its first female gravedigger, a impressive shift in a profession long dominated by men. Patricia Serrano, 34, began the job this week after flooding destroyed her nursery business in Sevilla la Nueva and led her to leave the Madrid area. Her move to Andalusia was unplanned. Looking for outdoor work that would keep her close to plants, she found a role that brought those interests together.
Serrano’s career change followed a difficult period in late 2023, when severe storms devastated her nursery and flower shop. She moved to Almogía, near Málaga, where her sister lived, and relied on unemployment benefits as she weighed her next steps. Encouraged by her partner, who was preparing for firefighter exams, she began searching for public-sector openings in the region. Many of the jobs she found were office-based, which she wanted to avoid. Then she spotted a public call for three cemetery-worker positions in Vélez-Málaga.
Months before the competitive exams, Serrano began studying legal regulations and horticulture, along with cemetery operations. She was the only woman among 25 candidates and earned the highest scores in both the written and practical tests. Her appointment as a permanent cemetery worker was confirmed on August 10, making her the first woman to hold the position in the town of about 86,000 residents.
Her daily responsibilities include caring for plants and maintaining the cemetery grounds. Serrano has not yet taken part in a burial, but she brings experience from her previous work with funeral homes, where she often assisted grieving families. She says empathy and respect are impressive in her new role, and sees cemeteries as places of silence and reflection, not fear. She works with five colleagues and has settled into the team. Some of them secured their positions through the same competitive process.
The local council has welcomed Serrano, whose appointment drew media attention after the municipality shared her story online. She prefers to give interviews outside working hours and away from cemetery grounds, out of respect for visitors. Women remain uncommon in cemetery work in Spain, though women have taken similar roles elsewhere, including in Galicia and Granada.
Serrano’s move into cemetery work reflects the range of careers open to women in Spain, including jobs traditionally associated with men. Her experience also shows how a sudden loss of livelihood can lead to a very different line of work. Challenges facing public-service applicants and workers in Spain have also drawn attention, including delays in elderly-care services in Madrid, as discussed in a recent article on waiting lists for public care.
In Spain, municipal councils typically oversee cemeteries and maintain their grounds, while cemetery staff may also assist families during burials. Serrano’s appointment in Vélez-Málaga could encourage other towns to consider similar opportunities. Her experience in naturopathy and floristry suited her preference for outdoor work and helped shape her path into the role. After rebuilding her working life in Andalusia, she has begun a new career caring for a place associated with remembrance and reflection.
