Could you imagine resting in a place that tells silent stories of Turbigo’s past? We are now standing before the Cimitero di Turbigo. It is more than just a burial ground. It’s a chronicle etched in stone and memory.
The Cimitero di Turbigo holds secrets of families that shaped this town. Here lies the Bussola family. Their funerary chapel is a striking example of Lombard-Austrian architecture from the early 19th century. It is so significant that it has a municipal preservation order.
The oldest tombs in the Cimitero di Turbigo lean against the perimeter wall. These tombs hold the cremated remains of members of the Bussola family. This included Francesco Bussola. He was mayor from 1863 to 1866. Also here lies Carlo Bussola. He was mayor from 1913 to 1918. Carlo was also a chief surgeon at Milan’s Ospedale Maggiore.
The Bussola family had ties to the Motta family of Ponte di Castano. The last Bussola heir lived in Genoa. She gave permission for burials here in the 1970s. The Bussola family’s wealth came from the Osteria al Segno dell’Annunciata. It was near the Vecchia Dogana. It was also near the 17th-century bridge over the Naviglio.
Documents from 1816 show that Gaspare Oriani sold the Osteria to Ferdinando Bussola. In 1858, the Osteria was recorded as having 35 living spaces. This included a tax collection office. Its high annual income came from lodging travelers passing through Turbigo. The Bussola family’s house was recently demolished. It made way for the Piazza Madonna della Luna. It was once the Piazza Mercato.
The Cimitero di Turbigo is a place where Turbigo’s history is etched in stone. The final chapter hasn’t been written yet. Every tombstone represents a story. Every pathway whispers of lives lived. May we remember the stories and honor the past as we wander through this location.