How often do you get to visit a museum in a cemetery? This is the Chiesetta del cimitero. It is part of the Cimitero Monumentale. This is one of Milan’s largest cemeteries. The Chiesetta del cimitero is noted for artistic tombs and monuments.
Carlo Maciachini designed it. He planned to consolidate small cemeteries into one location. The Cimitero Monumentale officially opened in 1866. It features Italian sculptures and Greek temples. You can also find obelisks and a Trajan’s Column replica.
Many tombs belong to industrialist families. Artists like Adolfo Wildt designed them. The main entrance is the Famedio. It is a Neo-Medieval Hall of Fame. It contains tombs of honored citizens. Novelist Alessandro Manzoni is among them.
The Civico Mausoleo Palanti honors Milanese citizens. A memorial remembers 800 Milanese killed in Nazi camps. The BBPR group designed it.
The Cimitero Monumentale also has sections for non-Catholic and Jewish people. Near the entrance, you can see exhibits. These include prints and photos of the cemetery’s history. Two electric hearses from the 1920s are also on display.
The Jewish section opened in 1872. Carlo Maciachini designed it. It replaced cemeteries of Porta Tenaglia. You’ll find family shrines and columbaria here. There are monuments for people killed by the Nazis. Diego Pennacchio Ardemagni created artistic windows here in 2015. They represent the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
The Cimitero Monumentale has the Crematorium Temple. It was the first crematorium in the Western world. It opened in 1876 but closed in 1992. The building also serves as a columbarium.
Signals guide visitors to notable tombs. Formula One champion Alberto Ascari rests here. Novelist Alessandro Manzoni also has a tomb here. Conductor Arturo Toscanini is buried here too. Many famous Milanese citizens found their final rest here at the Chiesetta del cimitero.
The Cimitero Monumentale is a museum and a final resting place. It showcases Italian art and history. The Chiesetta del cimitero stands as a testament. It embodies Milan’s culture and remembrance.