Perhaps it seems strange to begin a tour here at Cimitero di Seguro. Yet within these walls lies not just the city’s past but a profound open-air museum. This is a place where art and memory intertwine.
Welcome to the Cimitero Monumentale. It is one of Milan’s most impressive landmarks. After the Italian independence in 1861, Milan decided to consolidate its smaller cemeteries. The result was two large cemeteries. The Cimitero Monumentale was for the wealthy. The Cimitero Maggiore was for the common people.
Carlo Maciachini designed the Cimitero Monumentale between 1863 and 1866. It started as eighteen hectares. It later expanded to twenty-five. A wide central lane leads from the Famedio to the Crematorio. Monumental tombs line the left and right. Famous sculptors and architects designed many of them. The names on the tombs are a who’s who of Milan. Think Pirelli and Campari. Even Toscanini is here.
The Famedio dominates the entrance. Its facade is black and white striped. It stretches 250 meters. The Famedio is a hall of fame. It resembles a pantheon. Illustrious Milan citizens rest here. Nobel Prize winner Salvatore Quasimodo is here. Novelist Alessandro Manzoni also rests here. Luca Beltrami’s tomb is here. He renovated the Sforzesco Castle. Non-Catholics have small areas to the left and right of the Famedio.
Milan’s wealthy families competed. Each tried to build a grander tomb than the last. Sculptures of angels abound. Putti and sphinxes decorate tombs. Egyptian and Neo-Roman styles mix. Byzantine and Neo-Gothic designs appear. Art Nouveau and modernist styles also feature. Post-modern styles add to the mix.
Acclaimed artists created many works here. The result is an open-air museum. Visitors are often overwhelmed. Placards show an overview of the most famous graves.
The Bocconi family tomb is notable. They founded the Rinascente warehouse. They also founded Bocconi University. The tomb supports a marble baldachin. Statues of mourning women stand at the foot of Jesus. He is crucified.
Jesus is a recurring theme. The Campari tomb depicts the Last Supper. Giannino Castiglioni created the larger-than-life statues. He also worked on Antonio Bernocchi’s mausoleum. Bernocchi was an important industrialist. Castiglioni created a spiraling band depicting the Way of the Cross.
Many other artists contributed to the Cimitero Monumentale. Giacomo Manzù worked here. So did Medardo Rosso and Leonardo Bistolfi. Ernesto Bazzaro and Adolfo Wildt contributed. Even Argentine artist Lucio Fontana left his mark.
The Cimitero Monumentale also features a Jewish section. Carlo Maciachini designed it. It opened in 1872. It replaced cemeteries of Porta Tenaglia and others. The area expanded in 1913. The central building was originally the entrance.
Monuments of artistic value stand along the walkways. Family shrines are present. Maciachini designed two of them. There are columbaria and ossuaries. Burials number 1778. Some are in memory of Nazi concentration camp victims.
The cemetery includes the Crematorium Temple. It opened in 1876. It was the first crematorium in the Western world. It operated until 1992. The building is also a columbarium. It was built in Greek Revival style.
Many famous people are buried here. Signals point visitors to notable tombs. Alessandro Manzoni’s tomb is at the Famedio’s center. Arturo Toscanini also rests here.
The Cimitero Monumentale is more than a cemetery. It is a testament to Milan’s history. It is a gallery of art. It is a place of reflection. As we walk through, remember the lives and artistry. They shaped this city. They continue to inspire us today.