Poe's tomb

When I was 16 I found a book in my grandfather's library. It changed my views on literature. A hardcover red volume called "Extraodinary Stories" was a collection of tales by Edgar Allan Poe (1809-49), the father of detective genre, still my favorite book style.

At the first opportunity to visit Baltimore, 41 miles from Washington, I only could think about Poe's tome. I didn't resist and looked for the place where he is buried.

He lies next to this presbyterian church. As almost everything in old Baltimore, the building is from the beginning of 19th century. There are a lot of tombs beneath it.

The catacombs beneath the church make a perfect scenario for a Poe story. With little light, the tombs have a supernatural look. The "Master of Macabre" would approve it.

This casket is from the early 19th century, before the invention of modern chemical conservation of corpses. Ice was placed around the body to preserve the dead.

Around Poe's tomb there are signs with his life story and a tribute gave by french scholars. Many Poe's stories are set in Paris, like “The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "The Purloined Letter".

Many people place pennies on the tomb as a sign of recognition to the writer. I placed mine too.

Someone left two red roses and a drawing of a raven. I think is a touching tribute. I almost could hear it screaming "nevermore, nevermore". If you didn't understand the reference, go to google.