Monumental Cemetery

"This beautiful and artistic garden cemetery was designed by Carlo Maciachini in 1866 and hosts numerous pieces of striking funerary art in the form of elaborate sculptures, monuments and mausoleums. As you walk up to the gates you will see the black and white striped Famedio, which translates from Italian to mean ‘funerary temple’. Inside the neo-medieval structure, you’ll discover the tombs of notable figures and honoured citizens who have made Italy famous through their works or actions. In the centre of the Famedio there’s the tomb of Alessandro Manzoni, the acclaimed writer of the 19th century novel ‘The Betrothed’. Housed under an impressive gothic-style ceiling with an elegant large rose window and decorative motifs, his burial room is extremely impressive for its scale and design. From Manzoni’s tomb, the Hall of Fame extends from either side and is absolutely fascinating to walk around. One particular monument to note is located in the very Northwest corner, dedicated to Carcano. The remarkable design showcases an imposing carving of an angel with a gold mosaic backdrop and if you turn your gaze to the front of the monument in the lower half you will discover a wonderful memento mori example of a winged skull carving. Whilst walking through the Hall of Fame don't forget that many of the monuments are also positioned on its exterior facing outwards. Continuing into the grounds of the cemetery there’s approximately 25 hectares to cover and as well as the important personalities of Milan, the cemetery is also a burial place for common Milanese people. Unless you have all day, you will be hard pressed to see everything so I would recommend concentrating on the central avenue and taking whichever paths spike your curiosity. Dotted around the cemetery you can also find photographic boards that indicate on a map where to locate some of the most important and artistic graves. I found this particularly helpful during my visit and based my walk around the locations shown. One of the most interesting gravestones I found was situated along the central avenue on the lefthand side when walking North. It portrayed a man holding a scythe on top of the tomb, no doubt depicting the collection of the soul who had passed. I also found the area around Antonio Bernocchi’s monument held even more classical works of art and several large-scale mausoleums. Bernocchi’s final resting place consists of a pillar which represents the Tower of Babel, symbolising human arrogance and rebellion and close by you’ll also discover Carlo Borghi’s iconic grave showcasing an old man with wings resting his elbows on the tombstone. Wandering over to the West side of the cemetery, you’ll encounter the magnificent tomb of the Campari family and discover more of the lesser-known graves like the one depicting the head of medusa, displayed on the grave of a young aviator. I personally didn’t book a tour, I just wandered around admiring the landscape and stopped when something caught my eye. If you are pressed for time and are keen to learn more about the history of this astonishing site, then I would highly encourage you to look at booking a private guide. "

"This large city cemetery, originally built in 1860s, is a collection of illustrious tombs, full of references to Gothic, Byzantine and Romanesque architecture within ​250,000 square meters. Incredible examples of Arte funeraria, Milanese funerary art - sculptural mausoleums - forms of Greek temples, imposing obelisks, and a downsized copy of the famous Trajan's Column in Rome appear. Buried here: Gae Aulenti Alessandro Manzoni Piero Portaluppi Alberto Lattuada Filippo Tommaso Marinetti Bruno Munari Francesco Hayez Gio Ponti The elaborate representation of The Last Supper where Davide Campari and his family are buried we call The Last Aperitivo."

"Exiting the Parco Sempione on the side of the Arena Civica, and crossing the Milanese Chinatown, in around 15 minutes you arrive at the Cimitero Monumentale, the most important cemetery of Milano. There are a good number of tours that you can take at the Monumentale Cemetery to see all the famous personalities buried there or the incredible art of the tombs, but you can as well stroll around and lose yourself in the quiet and beauty of this magical place."