Introduction

The death of a loved one is always a painful and unpleasant event and in those moments, overwhelmed with grief, often we don't reflect in clear and rational manner, especially in relation to the choices to make with regard to unavoidable expenses (funeral, funeral home, expenses for cemetery, tombstone etc.) related to the event.

The best thing to do is not get caught up in haste and urgency of the situation and possibly postpone all those expenses that are not urgent, especially if you want to save on costs.

Among the things on which you can save money there is certainly the realization of the headstone, through the direct purchase of the equipment needed for its composition, for example, flower vase, votive lamp, porcelain photo and its related photo-frame, bronze letters for the epigraph.

Apart from the purchase of the marble slab for the construction of the headstone, for which we must certainly consult a marble company, all the accessories to be applied on the headstone can be bought directly from a specialist provider, such as Real Votiva, an Italian funerary art foundry, specialized in the production and sale of articles and bronze funerary accessories mainly used for the construction of tombstones, monuments and cemetery chapels.

Real Votiva, founded in 1967, is located in Melissano in the province of Lecce, a municipality located in the centre of the renowned Salento territory. In 2015 Real Votiva has launched the online store Real Votive Store (www.realvotivastore.com), through which you can buy everything you need for the construction of the tombstone directly on line from anywhere in the world.

Real Votiva Store is distinguished by the opportunity to save money on the purchase of the items, for the quality of products, for the excellent customer service, for rapidly shipping and delivery of orders.

Which products you can buy

The Real Votiva online store only sells high quality products made in Italy, in its plant, and includes not only objects in bronze but also in fine porcelain and stainless steel.

Real Votive Store's offer comprehend more than 3,000 catalogue items, including:

• characters and numbers, for the composition of epigraph on tombstones and monuments;
• flower-pots and flower-vases;
• photo frames, including the creation of porcelain pictures;
• electrical lamps and candle lamps, for the lighting of tombstones;
• plates, plaques, parchments, on which you can engrave default or custom dedications;
• brackets and studs, to support and fix the marble slab;
• chandeliers, candlesticks, crystals, crosses, crucifixes, bronze statues, bronze floral decorations, to be used for the ornament of the cemetery chapels;
• funerary urns, for the ashes conservation after cremation.

All our customers are extremely satisfied with our products and come to us for the convenience of buying directly from the manufacturer all that is necessary for the realization of a simple tomb, a wall tomb, a cemetery monument or a family cemetery chapel.

Not just products but also services

For some products, we can carry out on demand customizations or provide specific services, including:

• personalized engraving on parchments or plaques in bronze or porcelain;
• production of porcelain photo of various sizes and shapes (oval, rectangular) including graphics processing service of the original picture and application of uniform or gradient background on request;
• generation of custom drilling guides for the application of bronze characters.

What is required to build a headstone

Hereafter there is a summary of the essential components required for the construction of a headstone, what are their main characteristics and what are the methods of installation.

Characters.

The letters and numbers for gravestones can be used both for the composition of names and dates of birth and death that for any inscriptions, dedications or epitaphs to be realized on the tombstone. The characters are available in bronze, stainless steel or porcelain and are produced in various sizes ranging from a height of 2.5 cm to 8 cm. The most common models are the Roman (available in bronze or stainless steel), the Italian and Italic (both in bronze).

Some models of letters are also available with coloured marble finishes (Carrara, Botticino, Black marquinia, Guatemala green), black and white ceramismalt (a finish that gives to the letter the appearance of the glazed porcelain) or metallic colour like mercury, chrome, gold and glitter. The application of the letters on the tombstone is carried out by means of two pegs placed in the back of each letter; after practicing small holes on the points of application the letters are attached through mastic for marble. On demand, Real Votiva Store can generate, through a special software, customized drilling guides for the application of the bronze characters (only applicable for certain models of letters).

For more information see:

o   Technical sheet – How to mount Roman and Italian style letters

o   Technical sheet – How to mount Italic (cursive) style letters

Photo frame and porcelain photo.

The photo frames for gravestones are available both in bronze (produced with die casting or lost wax techniques) and in porcelain and stainless steel. They can have oval or rectangular shape and are available in various sizes (7x9 cm, 8x10 cm, 9x12 cm, 11x15 cm, 13x18 cm). Photo frames are attached to the headstone by means of two pin on the back; There are available also models applicable to the ground, useful for cemetery monuments or graves. In combination with the photo frame it is possible to produce porcelain photo, in colour or black and white.

For more information see:

o   Technical sheet – How to mount Photo frame and porcelain photo

Flower vase.

For what concerns the flower vases there are available both classical vases that flower pots, a more large vase which allows a placement and exposure of a greater quantity of flowers. Even for vases the materials used are bronze, porcelain and stainless steel, while the inner vase is available in copper or plastic. Typically, the flower vases can be mounted on a vertical surface (headstone) or horizontal surface (shelf, horizontal tomb or cemetery monument). Also available are a series of encased vase models. The vases are available in both simple material, such as bronze, black or white porcelain or stainless steel, both in various finishes such as chrome, mercury, glitter, marble. Many models are hand painted or finished with bronze decorations, such as roses, branches or doves.

The mounting of the wall flower vases can be carried out by means of two threaded pins which, on the side of the vase, are screwed on two spacers located on its the back, while on the side of the slab are fixed by two nuts. To fix the vase it's required the execution of two holes in correspondence of the pins. The mounting to the ground takes place by means of two threaded bolts that are screwed on the base of the vessel and which are fixed to the surface by means of two nuts. Also in this case to fix the vase it's required the execution of two holes in correspondence of the pins.

For more information see:

o   Technical sheet – How to mount flower vases

Votive lamp.

Votive lamps for gravestones, tombs and ossuaries, are made in bronze, porcelain or stainless steel. They can be mounted on a vertical surface (headstone) or horizontal surface (shelf, horizontal tomb or cemetery monument). The lamps are available either in simple material, such as bronze, black or white porcelain, stainless steel, or in various finishes such as chrome, mercury, glitter, marble. Many models are hand painted or finished with bronze decorations, such as roses, branches or doves. All votive lamps are equipped with a crystal flame and some of them can mount crystals shaped like a rosebud, heart, lily or tulip. All versions can be matched with photo frames, flower vases and other accessories of the same line.

The wall votive lamps can be mounted by means of two threaded pins which, on the side of the lamp, are screwed on two spacers located on its the back, while on the side of the slab are fixed by two nuts. Ground lamps can be fixed by means of two threaded bolts that are screwed on its base and are fixed to the surface by means of two nuts. In any case fixing requires the execution of two holes in correspondence of the pins.

For more information see:

o   Technical sheet – How to mount votive lamps

Marble slab support brackets.

The most practical and economical mode for the fixing and support of the marble slab of the wall headstone is to use the bronze brackets, in particular, the "compact bracket" model. This model is characterized by adjustable lugs with variable thickness from 0.8 to 2 cm. The brackets are available in various sizes and colours (bronze, glitter bronze, glitter light bronze, ceramismalt black or white, mercury, chromium, carrara marble, botticino marble, guatemala green marble, black marquinia marble ).

The mounting of the brackets is carried out by means of a threaded pin in stainless steel which, on the one hand, is screwed in the back of the bracket (see figure), and the other is attached to the wall by means of an expansion bolt. Once fixed the brackets, loosen the lugs using the nuts, rest the tombstones on the upper edge of the body of each bracket and ensure fastening of the upper edge by means of the lugs of the brackets placed in correspondence of the upper edge; in practice, the lower brackets act as a supporting element while the upper ones block the plaque through the lugs.

For more information see:

o   Technical sheet – How to mount support brackets for marble slabs