With Halloween and All Saints’ Day just around the corner, I thought I’d share with you a list of some of the most interesting cemeteries well worth a visit while in Italy, and how to explore them.
Confession: I have a thing for cemeteries. Everywhere I go, I always try to squeeze in a visit to the local resting place. Creepy? Maybe, but I’m really fascinated by the stories and traditions hidden behind all those tombstones!
Italy boasts some pretty amazing cemeteries with beautiful architectural details, famous residents and pretty interesting inscriptions. Not to mention that these places often make for a great escape from the rushed crowds of the city center.
So, here’s my personal list of some of the most amazing cemeteries in Italy.
Table of Contents
Protestant Cemetery, Rome
A favorite of mine, Rome’s Protestant cemetery is the burial ground of non-Catholics, mostly English who spent time here as part of their Grand Tours. The oldest tomb here predates the Colosseum: it’s an imposing pyramid built around 18 BC for Caius Cestius, a magistrate who got himself this tomb when everything Egyptian was trendy in ancient Rome.
Most visitors come here to pay homage to the cemetery’s famous residents, the English Romantic poets Keats and Shelley. However, there are other interesting personalities here, such as Antonio Gramsci, one of the founders of the Italian Communist Party, Welsh sculptor John Gibson, and August von Goethe, the son of Wolfgang Goethe. My personal highlight is the beautiful epitaph on the tomb of Italian-American Beat Generation poet Gregory Corso: “Spirit is Life. It flows thru the death of me endlessly like a river, unafraid of becoming the sea”.
How to get there
The cemetery is located in the Testaccio district and can be reached with underground B (“Piramide” station). It’s open Monday-Saturday from 9:oo am to 5:00 pm and Sundays and public holidays from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Further details are available on the cemetery website.
Fontanelle Cemetery, Naples
The Fontanelle Cemetery is one of my favorite places in Naples and possibly the most incredible place I’ve ever seen. Together with the Church of Santa Maria delle Anime del Purgatorio, this cemetery is home to the cult of the anime pezzentelle (literally, poor souls), a spontaneous cult of devotion to the remains of the indigent, unnamed dead that started in Naples in the XVII century.
The cemetery contains piles of bones and skulls belonging to hundreds of anonymous victims of the great plagues that hit the city in the XVII and XIX centuries. Many skulls have been enshrined or embellished with flowers and all around you’ll see little notes left by devotees with their prayers and requests.
How to get there
The Fontanelle Cemetery is located in the Sanità district. It can be reached with underground line 1 (Materdei stop), or with the ANM bus C51. It’s open every day from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and entrance is free. Further details are available on the Fontanelle Cemetery website.
Monumental Cemetery, Milan
The Monumental Cemetery is one of the highlights of any visit to Milan. Developing over an area of over 250,000 square meters, it is a huge cemetery with a fantastic collection of sculptures and artistic monuments. The Famedio is the main memorial chapel in the cemetery, housing the tombs of the city’s greatest personalities, such as the novelist Alessandro Manzoni.
Famous people buried here include the Nobel prize winner and poet Salvatore Quasimodo, the Milanese painter Francesco Hayez and other important local artists such as poet Alda Merini, songwriter Enzo Jannacci, and architect Giò Ponti. You’ll also see the tomb of Hermann Einstein, the father of the famous Albert. Not to be missed is the impressive tomb of the Bernocchi family that resembles the Tower of Babel.
How to get there
The Monumental Cemetery is located in Piazzale Cimitero, not far from Garibaldi train station and the new Porta Nuova district. From Porta Garibaldi station (underground line 2), you can reach the cemetery with a 10-minute walk. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, and entrance is free. Further details are available on the Milan tourism website.
Catacombe dei Cappuccini, Palermo
The Capuchin Catacombs are one of the most unusual places you’ll ever see in Italy. Located just outside Palermo’s historic center, they were created in the XVI century by a group of local monks who discovered a special preservative in the underground of their monastery that allowed to mummify dead corpses. Today the Capuchin Catacombs are home to about 8,000 mummified bodies dating back to the XVI-XX centuries, mostly dressed in their original clothes. Some still have their own teeth and hair!
Photographs are not allowed inside, so I don’t have any pictures for you, sorry! One of the most revered bodies is that of Rosalia Lombardo, who died in 1920 at the age of 2. She is so perfectly preserved that she’s been nicknamed Palermo’s sleeping beauty. Definitely not a place for the faint of heart…
How to get there
From Piazza Indipendenza, you can either catch bus no. 327 or walk along via Cappuccini for about 15 minutes. The Catacombs are open every day from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm (closed on Sunday afternoon between the end of October and March). Further details are available on the Capuchin Catacombs website.
Staglieno Cemetery, Genova
The Staglieno Cemetery is often regarded as one of Europe’s most striking cemeteries, due to its incredible beauty and the number of impressive sculptures and monuments it contains. It opened in 1851 and quickly became not only a popular burial place but also a key tourist attraction able to enchant the likes of Friedrich Nietzsche, Guy de Maupassant, Empress Sissi, and my beloved Mark Twain and Evelyn Waugh.
Photo mondoraro.org
The cemetery features hundreds of amazing marble sculptures and richly adorned chapels dedicated to the personalities buried here. Famous residents include political activist Giuseppe Mazzini, the photographer Alfred Noack, Oscar Wilde’s wife Mary Lloyd and Italian songwriter Fabrizio De André.
How to get there
Staglieno Cemetery is located in Piazzale Resasco and can be reached with bus 34 from the Genova Principe railway station. It’s open daily between 7:30 am and 4:30 pm, and entrance is free. Further details can be found on the Staglieno Cemetery website.
Camposanto, Pisa
There are lots of interesting things to see in Pisa beyond the leaning tower. One of these is Camposanto, the city’s monumental cemetery. Legend has it that it was built upon the soil brought from Golgotha, a place located right outside the walls of Jerusalem, where Jesus was crucified. The site is huge and contains some stunning frescoes about life and death and other interesting pieces, including the lamp that inspired Galileo to formulate the theory of the pendulum!
Camposanto is the resting place of many prominent Pisans, including members of the Medici family and prestigious teachers of the local university.
How to get there
Camposanto is located in Piazza dei Miracoli, where it rubs elbow with the leaning tower. It is open to the public every day between 9:00 am and 7:00 pm and entry costs 5 euros. Further details are available on this website.
English Cemetery, Florence
Located on a hill overlooking Florence’s busy ring road, the English Cemetery is a beautiful testament to the city’s cosmopolitan soul. In fact, contrary to its nickname, it wasn’t built exclusively for English, and this is reflected in the various languages used for inscriptions and epitaphs.
One of the most famous people buried here is Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who lived in Florence with her husband Robert Browning for many years. Novelist Frances Trollope, pedagogue Enrico Schneider, philosopher Sismondi, and Beatrice Shakespeare, the descendant of William Shakespeare, are also buried here.
How to get there
The English Cemetery is located in Piazzale Donatello, a 14-minute walk from Piazza San Marco. It is open every day between 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm (9:00 am – 12:00 pm on Monday).
And now tell me, have you ever visited a cemetery on your travels?
Until next time,
42 Comments
Wow, you usually don’t associate cemetaries with being particularly beautiful, but these ones are special!
Thanks a lot Kayla! 🙂
This is such a unique list. I have never thought of cemeteries as places to visit on travels but after reading this piece I may change my mind. The Protestant cemetery in Rome looks so beautiful. Would never have thought of it as a place to see great architecture and get insight about culture and history, but it clearly is. The huge cemetery in Milan looks like a museum. very interesting and insightful post
This is such a unique list. I have never thought of cemeteries as places to visit on travels but after reading this piece I may change my mind. The Protestant cemetery in Rome looks so beautiful. Would never have thought of it as a place to see great architecture and get insight about culture and history, but it clearly is. The huge cemetery in Milan looks like a museum. very interesting and insightful post
Thanks so much Sinjana, glad you liked it 🙂
What a unique post – I wouldn’t usually look to visit a cemetery on my travels but the architecture at some of these looks incredible, especially Monumental cemetery in Milan! Perhaps I will have start adding cemeteries to my itinerary 😀
Oh I know Rosie, it’s not the usual sight you would add to a travel itinerary, isn’t it? Still, I find cemeteries and the stories behind them truly fascinating and a great way to learn about the place I’m visiting 🙂
What an interesting topic for a post. I love articles like this that take you off the beaten track a bit. They all look great, but I would be particularly interested in seeing the one at Palermo! Not sure I’d like to see the mummified corpses that still have their hair and teeth but it would certainly make a good story.
Thanks Paul! I felt a little bit uncomfortable too when visiting the catacombs in Palermo, but the stories behind it are so interesting and I think one cannot miss it when in town!
Perfect post for this time of year! Especially on All Saints Day the cemeteries are so beautiful
Thanks Lyssie!
I love seeing how different cultures bury their dead. I agree – they are usually very interesting and often quite beautiful. However, my favourite is definitely going to catacombs. These are super creepy. There always seem to be some horrible stories attached to them which make them definitely attention worthy! I like your summary of cemeteries in Italy and will keep an eye out for these the next time that I am there.
Thanks Nicole! Trust me, those catacombs are absolutely ‘wow’!
The first time I went to a cemetery at the recommendation of friends was Pere Lachaise in Paris, and I was blown away. I thought I would hate it because I’ve never much cared for cemeteries or anything dark like that, but it was such a unique and cool experience that now I recommend it to everyone. So I can definitely see your fascination with cemeteries, and I’d love to check out some of the ones you included on your list since I’ve never been to any of those before!
First of all, I loved reading this post, Val! I, too, have a morbid fascination with cemeteries — and with catacombs and bone chapels as well. I’ve been to some very interesting ones around Europe, including the bone house in Hallstatt (Austria), the bone chapel in Evora (Portugal), and the catacombs of Paris. But I haven’t been to a single one mentioned on your list! This will change! I feel blessed to be able to travel to Italy each year for work, so you bet I will be visiting as many of these spots as possible! I really loved the history you included in the post as well, from the poets buried in Rome to the 8,000 mummified bodies in Palermo — including the two-year old “Sleeping Beauty.” Not for the faint of heart, indeed! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much Stefanie, I didn’t know about that bone house in Austria!
Cemeteries might not be something one is looking to visit during their travels but I like visiting unusual (and sometimes spooky) places. This seems like an amazing experience for travelers like me. I actually visited the one in Palermo last year and was blown away.
PS. I don’t normally do this when commenting on other blogs but it seems like we have a similar taste when it comes to traveling- that’s why I think you’ll love an article I recently wrote about the most haunted places in Europe 🙂
Oh wow, very interesting topic, I need to read your article 😀
I have travelled Italy quite a bit but never thought about this aspect which has a lot of architecture and history connected to it I must say. There is something about cemeteries which is so peaceful and calming and one which people don’t think of visiting when you visit a country. For me the top picks will be the one in Rome and Naples due to the history and the catacombs. Thanks for this post and opening a new avenue of tourism .
I’m glad you liked this Amar!
I never thought of visiting cemeteries during my travel. But these Italian cemeteries are architectural wonders. Staglineo cemetery of Genova with that sculpture looks really beautiful. Thanks for sharing all the wonderful post with the list of something unique to visit in Italy.
Aaw thank you Yukti!
What a great idea for a post, love the theme, and totally understand your fascination with cemetaries. People might think it a bit ghoulish but actually it’s a fascinating way to learn some additional history plus usually also pretty peaceful and sometimes weird! I’ve seen the Capuchin Catacombs, they were unbelievable! I haven’t visited your others, but can I recommend San Michele island in Venice, it’s the lagoon’s cemetary island.
Oh really, did you see the catacombs? So weird, right?
Creepy yet fascinating. What creeps us out is the fact that the dead bodies are shown. The only time we saw human remains (mostly skulls and femurs) were in Benguet’s burial chambers.
I’ve never heard of that cemetery, I need to research 😉
A very fascinating read, Val. I like visiting cemeteries on my travels too. The St. Peter’s Monastery, Cemetery & Catacombs in Salzburg is beautiful as is the Modernist Cemetery in Lloret de Mar. Loved visiting both.
Nice, I need to check these out then!
You are a braver person than me Val! I’m not a fan at all of any these cemetaries but I really enjoyed reading this post. The Capuchin Catacombs freak me out the most, mainly because of the story of the little girl there! It’s very cool about the famous residents in the cemetary in Rome; maybe I’ll visit the next time I’m there.
Oh Lisa, those catacombs have been a little difficult to visit for me too I must say 😉
A blogger I follow said once you can judge a city by its bars, markets and cemeteries, so yes, I’ve visited quite a few. I like your list because it includes traditional cemeteries and catacombs. Isn’t it fascinating how detailed and beautiful some of the sculptures are? And what amazing people are buried here too. Very interesting!
Thanks Annick! I love the quote from the blogger you follow, I totally agree!
Eeeeppp…Rosalia Lombardo sounds so creepy! Totally perfect post for the Halloween time! I love Elizabeth Browning, I had no idea that she was buried here.
I know, I was totally inspired by Halloween when writing this 🙂
Well, I must say you have this weird liking for cemeteries. The one in Naples looks so scary. The others look awesome in fact. Loved the architecture in a few of them. You have done a good research of what famous people are buried where!!
Ahah, thank you!
I don’t normally think to visit cemeteries when I travel but these have some beautiful sculptures and monuments. I imagine they would be a peaceful escape in the daytime but I definitely would not visit one at night.
I prefer to visit them by day too 😉
Wow! That’s an awesome list. I’ve been to only Pisa Camposanto and was fascinated by it that I felt bad I had only 1 hr to spend there. Hoping to visit Naples next year and if possible Turin. I’ll make sure visit these cemetaries.
If you go to Naples you can’t miss the Fontanelle cemetery, it’s so..unique!
I love this article so much Valentina! Sounds morbid, but I love exploring graveyards and cemeteries when I am travelling – they’re always very different in different countries, to it’s interesting to see how people bury their deceased x
Thanks so much Becca! Glad to read I’m not the only one to have this thing for cemeteries 😉
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