Monumental Cemetery

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Verona Monumental Cemetery, a real open-air museum, represents a unique place of worship, home to monuments and funeral sculptures of the most famous families from Verona and from outside the town.

It is located along the left bank of the river Adige, close to Porta Vittoria, in the so-called area of Campo Marzo: this name comes from the fact that, even during the Roman age, according to some historians, the area was full of swamp and wild lands, so the area earned the epithet of campo marcio (rotten), as stated in documents dated back to 11th – 12th centuries.

The Cemetery looks different from its original 19th century conception.

Perfectly integrated within the current urban planning of the city, in the past it used to have a strong impact on the eyes of the beholders, due to its majestic neoclassic features and for being phisically isolated (it was located outside the walls of the city, delimited by the river). Almost to emphasize the difference of state, as it was separated from the “city of the living”, it was surrounded by an aura of holiness, which inspired respect for all those who  necessarily became part of the “city of the dead”.

The project of the Cemetery needed an incubation period of 20 years and its completion became necessary especially after the promulgation of the Napoleonic Edict of Saint Cloud of 1804, which was extended to the Reign of Italy. 

Infact the new regulations, which were complete and organic, established that, due to health and hygiene reasons, as well as to ideological and political ones, the cemeteries had to be placed outside the city walls and the graves  had to look all the same, in order to avoid discrimitations among the dead, but with special exception for the illustrous people. 

The new Monumental Cemetery of Verona was built starting from 1828 on the basis of the neoclassical project of the architect-engineer Giuseppe Barbieri.

The so-called “Pantheon”, majestic monuments indicating the most important points of the Cemetery, whose names remind of quotes from the classical age, were built in order to neatly mark the space of this huge civil architecture: Pantheon Resurrecturis, which corresponds to the main entrance of the Cemetery; the temple  Piis Lacrimis, built on the model of the Pantheon of Rome; Ingenio Claris, which hosts the remains of the illustrious people from Verona and the Beneficis in patriam, dedicated to the benefactors of the city.

A century after its construction, starting from 1930s, great extention work became necessary. In this way the Cemetery assumed its present conformation including: Cimitero Barbieri, which is home to monuments of particular historical-architectural importance; Cimitero Nuovo, which contains the “Memorial” and is also a place dedicated to the “Military Camp”, where the remains of the fallen of the First and Second World Wars are kept; finally Cimitero Giardino, which contains burial recesses and precious funeral niches.

Walking among the graves located in the so-called “Cimitero del Novecento” it is easy to see the tombs of famous people, whose bodies are held in splendid gravestones, decorated with sculptures and bas-relieves of excellent manufacturing. Among the most important national figures there are the writer Emilio Salgari, honoured with a funeral bas-relief by the sculptor Tullio Montini: the body of the writer was moved from Tourin to the Monumental Cemetery of Verona in 1912; or the futurist artist Umberto Boccioni, who died in Chievo by falling from a horse during a military practice. On his headstone the pencil signature of his futurist friend Gino Severini, who came and visit him in the 50s, is still visible.

An important guide, which facilitates the visit of this treasure, hidden in the very heart of Verona, is the complete guide of the Cemetery of Verona, entitled: “Il Cimitero Monumentale di Verona” edited by Maddalena Basso and Camilla Berton. The aim of the guide is to accompany the visitor discovering these sacred places, newly considered and appreciated as a cultural and artistic place.

Leaving for a while the lively city, there will be time to nourish our memory and enrich our knowledge, accompanied by the key figures of the 19th and 20th centuries, who made the history of the city. It is an excellent opportunity to combine history, art and culture, getting a new vision of the city. 

The visit is free but visitors must respect the sacred place. The whole Cemetery has got three main entrances: the first near Cimitero Barbieri, the second near Cimitero Nuovo and the third, which is for cars, near Cimitero Giardino.

Guided visits and cultural appointments are accurately indicated in the special space of the official site www.agec.it.

FAQ

Who designed the cemetery?
The cemetery was designed by architect Giuseppe Barbieri.

What famous people are buried there?
Among others, the writer Emilio Salgari, the painter and sculptor Umberto Boccioni and the writer and poet Berto Barbarani are buried here.

When is the Monumental Cemetery open?
The cemetery is open every day. The opening hours may vary.

Is the monument accessible to people with disabilities?
The cemetery is completely accessible.

Is it possible to access to the monument with animals?
It is possible to transit in accordance with the specific current rules. The use of a muzzle is compulsory if the size of the dog requires it.

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