While for some people, cemeteries evoke the macabre, for me they are a truly wonderful cultural experience. It isn’t to say I’d gladly stroll these paths at night – and indeed I am grateful most cemeteries aren’t even open after dark – but even on a gloomy January morning, a walk through an old cemetery can be a pleasant way to pass a few hours. They are places of history, of architecture, and of art, as much as basically any museum.

This one, the Monumental Cemetery (Cimitero Monumentale) of Milan, is among the most beautiful I’ve visited. Located a ten minute walk from Milan’s Porta Garibaldi rail station (a smaller one than the main Centrale terminal, and just two Metro stops away from it), this cemetery makes for a beautiful and peaceful way to spend a couple of hours away from the crowds of tourists around the Duomo. (Click here to read about Milan’s Duomo and Sforzesco Castle.) And while it may not have as many tombs of famous Italians as some others around the country, it has a few, with enough beautiful monuments and stunning architecture to make a visit worthwhile.

The Monumental Cemetery opened in 1866. It was created to combine several smaller cemeteries that had been all around the city. Some burials here were re-interments from those smaller sites, but most seem to be more modern.

The entrance is through the most iconic structure inside the cemetery. Called the Famedio, this neo-medieval castle-looking building of marble and stone was designed by Mario Palanti, who also designed the twin skyscrapers of Buenos Aires and Montevideo. The Famedio holds tombs of some of Milan’s most notable citizens, including several former mayors, basically none of whom are household names to Americans, other than possibly the author Alessandro Manzoni. Manzoni’s tomb occupies the very center of the interior.

There are plaques throughout the Famedio dedicated to other famous Italians, especially those of the unification period (click here to read about Italian unification) like Giuseppe Garibaldi, but none of those are actually buried here. Think of this as more of a wall of honor, which, while a nice touch, feels a bit out of place in a cemetery.

But between the blue tiled ceiling, golden mosaic, and plaques, a visit inside is a must-do, even if only for a few minutes.

Within the Monumental Cemetery proper, pathways are mainly good, and mostly gravel. One can loop as slowly or quickly as desired, chasing down the beauty of the monuments and tombs. And beauty there is, with basically anywhere you turn bringing a stunning monument that will beckon. They range from gothic to modern, from Masonic stone pyramids to glass walled cubes, and from thirty or more feet tall to totally flush with the ground.

Some have intricate sculpture; others are more plain. Some are of individuals; others are family tombs. Some are better kept-up than others. The variety is part of the fun.

While few names in an Italian cemetery jumped out at me, a couple did during my research, so I chased down those tombs. Upon entering the main cemetery, down a wide pathway to your left you’ll see a life-sized sculpture of The Last Supper. It is worth seeing in itself, but even more so when you realize it is the tomb of the Campari family. Yes, of the same-named bitter liqueur you’ll find all over Italy, one I personally can’t stand.

At the other side of the cemetery (a couple sections back and to the right after you enter) is a much more simple stone tomb that holds the remains of famed Italian composer and conductor Arturo Toscanini.

Other names are basically a mystery to me. As I said, it’s a short list of notable interments for an American visitor.

One of the most interesting portions of Milan’s Monumental Cemetery is the Jewish section. It is located within the main cemetery walls but walled separately, necessitating a stairway in each direction up and over that interior barrier. If you walk in the main entrance, it is all the way to your right, along the front.

The Jewish section opened in 1872, and contains similar epic monuments to those in the main part, although with Jewish imagery and Hebrew lettering, as well as a few grassy areas with small headstones. These are for Jewish children who died between the 1872 opening and 1893.

Cemeteries give some people weird feelings. But for me, they evoke a sense of calm, of peace, and of awe. I find myself reading names and dates, wondering who people may have been and what their lives may have been like. I marvel at the architecture of the central buildings and at the art of the tombs themselves. It is a beautiful way for me to spend part of a day.

This cemetery, Milan’s Monumental Cemetery (Cimitero Monumentale) is incredible, despite only a few names being familiar to me. And if you are like me, and find beauty in such places, it will be just as wonderful for you.

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