The village of Vertova – with its ancient stone houses northeast of Milan – has 4,600 inhabitants and usually sees around 60 deaths the entire year. But the coronavirus epidemic has claimed the lives of 36 villagers in just 23 days.
They are waiting to be cremated and then buried in the cemetery in the back.Funerals have been banned for weeks and the ceremony will be a muted affair attended by caretakers wrapped in protective suits and masks.