The most incredible place to visit in Milan: Cimiterio Monumentale

I had starred it on Google Maps, but half of me had given up on the idea of going. But then the guide from the walking tour I did that morning said that if there was anything else we should do in Milan was definitely that. And yes, I’m talking about a cemetery… and please don’t be immediately put off by this, as I’m introducing to you one of the most magnificent points of interest in Milan, where you can easily spend a couple of hours… and it’s free 🙂

I’ve posted a lot about different cemeteries in this corner of the internet. Whilst for some it may be considered odd, weird and creepy, I’ve always defended these places are often full of interesting things to see and explore, from incredible architecture, artworks and pieces of history, making cemeteries open-air museums of incredible value, certainly deserving of a visit.

I’m not that easy to impress anymore, and I was impressed. The moment I stepped into the cemetery I was so grateful for having decided to visit the cemetery, despite the cold and the rain. In fact, the greyness of the skies made it even more special. It granted me with the perfect backdrop, the tiny droplets of rain colouring the stone in different tones of grey, the silence punctuated by the calling of crows the most fitting soundtrack. Sometimes when I’m travelling I have moments such as these: epiphanies of perfection, when all the elements seem to align, and I’m suddenly at peace with myself with the world, with all the decisions I have taken to lead me there, to that moment, in a word: serenity.

For this and many other reasons, the Monumental Cemetery became my favourite spot in Milan. I spent my time exploring it, ignoring the rain, trying to protect my camera whilst photographing it. Trust the Italians to carve grief, sadness, despair, and loss in stone. Trust them because they will deliver in a way I have never seen before. Graves are soul-destroying sculptures, that will make your heart throb. This is the most beautiful cemetery I have ever visited, and believe it takes a lot to take away the place of London’s Victorian graveyards from the first place. I can only hope my photos can show you what you’d miss by skipping this visit

As in many other big European cities, the Monumental Cemetery was built in the 19th century as a solution to the many unhealthy and unsafe graveyards, that were also becoming too crowded. We’re talking about the century when the population started to increase drastically, due to the Industrial Revolution – but sanitary conditions hadn’t improved at the same rate, which meant the mortality rates were also quite high…and there wasn’t enough space in the previous church graveyards to accommodate it. The place is enormous, with over 250,000 square meters and it was officially opened in 1866. Since then, it’s been not only the final resting place of many but also an open-air gallery of beautiful tombs. Again, trust the Italians to bring mesmerising art into everything. Besides sculptures, you will encounter Greek temples, obelisks, and masonic pyramids… and you can easily identify different artistic styles.

There are of course quite a lot of famous Italian personalities and families buried in this cemetery. the location of such graves is indicated in various maps across the cemetery, but for a non-Italian like myself, those names meant very little. Even so, I felt I could have spent a lot more time here and I really wanted to have a guide to give me more information about the history of the cemetery, its artists, architects and also its people. If I’m ever again back in Milan, this is something I’ll try to fit into my schedule for sure.

If you are feeling uneasy about visiting a place such as this, just think about this: wouldn’t it be a shame if these beautiful works of art were only seen in days of burials, or in those moments when loved ones are visiting, mourning a loss, grieving? How sad that would be, and how much better I feel knowing and acknowledging that no matter how scary the thought is, death is indeed a part of life, and the only certainty we have, the only thing we know for sure will happen to us and everyone who lives.