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Monumental Cemetery
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Show an other treasure of art and history in Milan:
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 Mostly represented styles: Neogothic - Neoromanesque - Eclectic
The Monumental Cemetery is a large cemetery located near the center of Milan in the homonymous square. Designed by architect Carlo Maciachini (1818-1899) according to an eclectic style combining Byzantine and Gothic references, with a prevalence of Romanesque style marked by the score of stones alternating by color as the dominant theme for this nineteenth-century building. Started in 1864 and opened in 1866, it has since been enriched by many Italian sculptures of both classic and contemporary genre, like Greek temples, elaborate obelisks, and other original works like a stripped down version of Trajan's Column. For the high artistic value of the sculptures, funeral kiosks and other works within it, it is considered a real "open air museum." Fontana and Wildt, just to name two of the most famous artists who created statues and monuments in the Monumental Cemetery.
The Famedio, the name deriving from the Latin famae aedes, or the Temple of Fame, is the main entrance of the cemetery and is the most exclusive part of the cemetery. It consists of a massive building in neo-medieval style of marble and brick. The memorial chapel was initially designed to be a church, and from 1870 it was used as a burial site of the most honored Italians, like Alessandro Manzoni and Carlo Cattaneo. In the Famedio other important figures connected in Milan are represented who are buried in other places, such as Giuseppe Verdi, buried in the nearby retirement home for musicians he founded.
The Monumental Cemetery in Milan, by the names of the families who own the tombs in it, allows you to retrace the whole recent history of the city.
What can be noticed is the strong presence of various kinds of industrial families, reflecting the fact that in Milan work and economic success have always been a key factor for social ascent and prestige after that.
For those who just moved to Milan and are interested to have an understanding of the city they moved in, we strongly recommend a guided tour of the Monumental Cemetery, visit which will allow to learn about the history that is behind many important and frequently used names, whose origin often remains in the background (Bocconi, Campari, Forlanini, Meazza, Motti, and many others).
If you are interested in a guided tour of this monument send an email!
Categories: Others
Piazzale Cimitero Monumentale, 20154 Milano |
Further pictures of the Monumental Cemetery in the section Photography |