WDEC 2026 in Bologna and its Metropolitan Area

Discover the program of events taking place in Bologna Metropolitan Area during the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries 2026.

In the Bologna Metropolitan Area, there are five cemeteries recognized as "monumental and historic cemeteries of Emilia-Romagna" under Regional Law 21/2022: the Certosa Monumental Cemetery of Bologna, the Piratello Cemetery of Imola, the Casaglia Cemetery of Marzabotto, the Medicina Cemetery, and the San Giovanni in Persiceto Cemetery.

During the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries 2026, the Città Metropolitana di Bologna (Metropolitan City of Bologna) and Settore Musei Civici Bologna (Bologna Civic Museums Sector), for the hird consecutive year, are promoting a coordinated calendar of guided tours and initiatives dedicated to historical, artistic, and naturalistic itineraries in these locations.

Bologna - Certosa Monumental Cemetery

Friday, May 22 | 4:00 PM
In the Footsteps of Farinelli and His Family

Guided tour with Luigi Verdi exploring the memorial of Carlo Broschi, the legendary 18th-century singer known as Farinelli. The journey winds through silent cloisters to discover the tombs of his family members, weaving together art, music, and society from the 1700s to the present day. Inspired by the 2026 publication "Famiglie del Farinelli e loro dimore".

Organized by: Museo Civico del Risorgimento with Associazione Amici della Certosa.
Booking: Recommended at prenotazionicertosa@gmail.com.
Admission: Free.

Saturday, May 23 | 3:00 PM
Truth or Lies?

Guided tour with Roberto Martorelli. Inspired by the writings of Basile Joseph Ducos (1819-1820), this walk through the UNESCO World Heritage site questions whether the virtuous inscriptions on tombstones always tell the truth.

Organized by: Museo Civico del Risorgimento with Associazione Amici della Certosa.
Booking: Mandatory at prenotazionicertosa@gmail.com (confirmation email required).
Admission: €10.00 / €8.00 for Card Cultura holders (cash preferred).

Sunday, May 24 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Musical Weaves in Certosa

An independent tour where monuments are paired with ancient and modern songs. Visitors are encouraged to bring a smartphone and headphones to listen to tracks suggested by a mediator. A special guide sheet will be provided at the Infopoint to help you create your own "Certosa playlist".

Organized by: MIA (Innovative and Open Museums) for Museo Civico del Risorgimento.
Departure: Historical-Artistic Info Point, via della Certosa 18.
Admission: Free.

Sunday, May 24 | 10:30 AM
Underground Certosa: An Unusual Journey

Discover the least-known areas of the cemetery, including mysterious galleries, cold underground tunnels, and hidden cloisters. The tour includes the tragic story of Radio, a young submariner, and a look at modern artworks hidden from the hurried visitor.

Organized by: Mirarte.
Booking: Mandatory at mirartecoop.it.
Admission: €14.00 full / €10.00 reduced (children 6-12, people with disabilities).

Monday, May 25 | 4:00 PM
Biographical Visit to Bologna’s Greatest Monument

Guided tour with Mauro Felicori (founder and former president of ASCE) and Roberto Martorelli. The tour traces the complex's rebirth since 1999 and its recent recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Organized by: Associazione Amici della Certosa with Museo Civico del Risorgimento.
Booking: Mandatory at amicidellacertosa@gmail.com.
Admission: Free.

Tuesday, May 26 | 7:00 PM
NEPHESH | Protecting the Shadow

An immersive sonic walk through the cemetery using headphones. This poetic journey by Alessandro Renda explores the connection between the living and the dead.

Organized by: Ravenna Teatro in collaboration with perAspera Festival.
Booking: Mandatory pre-sale at www.ravennateatro.com/nephesh-certosa/.
Admission: €18.00.

Thursday, May 28 | 6:00 PM
Certosa T900: Memory and Guardianship

A meeting with Mauro Felicori discussing a collective study project on 20th-century tombs. The project involves photographers, volunteers, and students to preserve the city's memory for the future.

Organized by: Associazione Amici della Certosa with Museo Civico del Risorgimento.
Booking: Mandatory at amicidellacertosa@gmail.com.
Admission: Free.

Thursday, May 28 | 9:00 PM
Certosa: Nature and Death

A guided walk through the 19th-century garden of memory, exploring the botany and symbolism of death. Guided by biologist Francesco Nigro, this tour reveals the vibrant "urban nature" hidden within the city of the dead.

Meeting Point: Via della Certosa 22 (Italian Military Monument).
Organized by: Associazione Vitruvio.
Booking: Mandatory at associazione.vitruvio@gmail.com or +39 329 3659446.
Admission: €12.00 (Comfortable shoes and a flashlight/smartphone are recommended).

Saturday, May 30 | 10:30 AM
A Sunset of Joyful Notes – Bolognese Arts of the late 1700s

A walk with Roberto Martorelli through the UNESCO cloisters to discover the sculptors, painters, and composers who lived during the transition from Baroque to Neoclassical culture.

Organized by: Museo Civico del Risorgimento with Associazione Amici della Certosa.
Booking: Mandatory at prenotazionicertosa@gmail.com (confirmation email required).
Admission: €10.00 / €8.00 for Card Cultura holders (cash preferred).

Saturday, May 30 | 3:30 PM & 7:30 PM
Adore the Stars that Never Fade – Napoleon and Murat in Bologna

A grand historical reenactment featuring the meeting of Emperor Napoleon and the King of Naples. The event includes historical groups and a special guest, Prince Joachim Murat, heir to the Prince.

Afternoon Session (3:30 PM): Meet at Ingresso Piangoloni; includes a tour and photo shoot at the Pantheon.
Evening Session (7:30 PM): Meet at Ingresso Piangoloni; arrival of Napoleon and Murat followed by group tours of historical stops.
Booking: Mandatory via Eventbrite.
Admission: Free.

Sunday, May 31 | 3:30 PM
The Certosa of Bologna: An Open Book on History

An "ABC" tour for first-time visitors, covering everything from the Etruscan necropolis to the monastery and the modern cemetery. Visit the tombs of famous figures like Lucio Dalla, Giosue Carducci, and Alfieri Maserati.

Organized by: Mirarte.
Booking: Mandatory at mirartecoop.it/eventi/.
Admission: €14.00 full / €10.00 reduced.

May 28 – September 25, 2026
Theater Workshop: Souls on Stage

A sensory theater workshop held within the cemetery itself. Led by actress Luisa Vitali and director Luca Ghelfi, the course uses the statues and epitaphs as inspiration for vocal and physical expression.

Schedule: Generally on Thursdays after closing (sunset or night); approx. 2 hours per session.
Cost: €100 for a minimum of 4 sessions.
Meeting Point: Italian Military Monument, via della Certosa 22.
Info/Booking: luisa.vitali@rimacheride.it (WhatsApp only) at +39 335 6820121.

May 22 – June 7, 2026
Exhibition: Walks in Certosa

From Neoclassicism to Liberty in Funerary Monuments | Chiostro dell’Ossaia / delle Madonne
A photographic exhibition by Artecittà-APS documenting a century of funerary art, from Neoclassical motifs to the Art Nouveau revolution.

Visiting Hours: Daily, 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM.

May 2026 | Free Guided Tours
Scheduled on: May 23 (10:30 AM), May 24 (4:00 PM), May 29 (10:30 AM), May 31 (10:30 AM)

Booking: Mandatory at info@bolognartecitta.it or +39 333 6917884 (WhatsApp only).

Medicina - Medicina Cemetery

Sunday, May 24 | 10:30 AM | Guided Tour
Paths of Memories from Medicina

A walk from the Municipal Library to the Historical Cemetery to discover the figures who contributed to the history of their community. During the tour, participants will receive a copy of the cemetery guide, produced thanks to Regional Law 21/2022.

Organized by: Municipality of Medicina with Area Blu and the Museo del Risorgimento di Bologna.
Meeting Point: Entrance of the Library, via Pillio 1, Medicina.
Admission: Free with reservation at +39 0516979209 or serviziculturali@comune.medicina.bo.it.

Wednesday, May 27 | 9:30 PM | Guided Tour
Faces, Stories, and Words from the City of Medicina

A nocturnal walk to rediscover the present through the forms of the past. Rice weeders (mondine), teachers, and artisans who lived through and documented the long period from Italian Unification to the birth of the Republic. During the tour, the cemetery guide (Regional Law 21/2022) will be distributed. Note: Bring a flashlight or use your smartphone light; comfortable shoes are recommended.

Organized by: Municipality of Medicina with Area Blu and the Museo del Risorgimento di Bologna.
Meeting Point: 15 minutes before the start at the entrance of the Historical Cemetery, via della Resistenza 322.
Admission: Free with reservation at +39 0516979209 or serviziculturali@comune.medicina.bo.it.

San Giovanni in Persiceto - San Giovanni in Persiceto Cemetery

Sunday, May 24 | 4:00 PM | Guided Tour
To Say, To Do, To Teach

With the birth of the new Kingdom of Italy, a gradual effort to improve literacy across the nation began, establishing a minimum requirement for compulsory schooling—initially for two years, and later extended to three. The transfer of knowledge became a way to shape independent and supportive citizens, and an opportunity to "leave a positive mark" on younger generations by nurturing their dreams and vocations. Education was seen as a bridge between people and cultures. Walking through the courtyards and porticoes of the Historical Monumental Cemetery, we will discover the stories of teachers and mentors who made Persiceto famous in the fields of music, science, literature, and medicine.

Meeting Point: In front of the entrance of the Historical Monumental Cemetery (Circonvallazione Vittorio Veneto, 24).
Admission: Full: €12.00 / Reduced (Ages 14-18): €7.00 / Children under 14: Free
Booking: Mandatory.

Information & Reservations: IAT-R PIANURA BOLOGNESE - Tourist Information Office
Phone & WhatsApp: +39 348 731 8029
Email: cultura.turismo@comunepersiceto.it

Theatrical performance at Certosa Monumental Cemetery

In July and August 2025, the Certosa Monumental Cemetery hosted "Pen, Bread and Justice", a play highlighting equality, solidarity, and justice through the stories of Bologna’s important historical figures.

About the event

As part of the Certosa 2025 Summer Calendar, the Certosa Monumental Cemetery in Bologna, Italy, hosted the theatrical performance "Pen, Bread and Justice" (in Italian "Penna, Pane e Giustizia").

Produced by Associazione Rimacheride and directed by Giovanna Manfredini, the performance featured Luisa Vitali and Nicola Fabbri, with an original text by Giacomo Gailli. The play presented the stories of three important historical figures from Bologna, through which the values of equality, solidarity, and justice were reflected.

• 1878 – Gualberta Alaide Beccari, a Mazzinian and pioneering voice of the emancipation magazine La Donna, educated people about equality. Gender equality was her mission.
• 1914 – Francesco Zanardi, elected Mayor of Bologna on a socialist electoral programme focused on bread and literacy, is shown in a dialogue with a baker, symbolizing the everyday work that sustains community life.
• 1939 – Mario Finzi, a political and civil activist during the Second World War and founder of Delasem, built a network that helped save millions of Jews from extermination, illustrating that peace is built through solidarity and trust.

Peace, justice and strong institutions

The project was realized as part of the ASCE "Significant Cemeteries for Sustainable Europe" initiative, which included numerous activities during the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries (WDEC) and throughout the year. In 2025, it focused on peace, justice, and strong institutions—Goal 16 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

*Cover photo by Simone Bonetti, in-post photo by Giacomo Gailli.

The T900 project: A bridge between generations

The T900 project, promoted by the Associazione Amici della Certosa di Bologna, aims to preserve the memory of the Certosa Monumental Cemetery in Bologna through art.

A place of memory

The Certosa Monumental Cemetery, which houses many of the Bologna families of the past, is an architectural work of great artistic and historical value. The tombs found here, true funerary artistic works, are designated MONUMENTUM, in Latin REMEMBRANCE, a place of memory and testimony for future generations.

About the T900 project

The project promoted by the Associazione Amici della Certosa di Bologna, focusing on individual significant tombs from the 20th century, aims to create a bridge between the past, present, and future, and to preserve over time the MEMORY that has been entrusted to us.

Through the active and direct participation of students, members of the Association, and Bologna citizens, a pilot project has come to life, aimed at increasing awareness of a growing number of funerary monuments. T900, conceived and coordinated by architect Francisco Pérez Amitrano, Vice President of the Association, has benefited from the collaboration of the Museo civico del Risorgimento of the Municipality of Bologna.

It has been presented at the Certosa with new itineraries, coinciding with the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries at the end of the school year.

Public presentation and archiving

In 2024, for the second consecutive year, students and teachers from the high school Liceo Artistico F. Arcangeli of Bologna, along with researchers and photographers from the Association, publicly presented their participation in the "Tombs ’900" project: students with graphic drawings and renderings of the tombs, and members with archival research and high-quality photographic documentation.

The collected materials are preserved by the Associazione Amici della Certosa with a dual intent: to build a growing archive for the benefit of the community and to foster in young students the MEMORY of their city.

Schools on Cemeteries

The Associazione Amici della Certosa di Bologna actively participates in the ASCE Schools on Cemeteries project and the T900 project is an excellent example of how to involve schoolchildren and youth in learning and preservation of cultural heritage in cemeteries through art.

WDEC 2022 in Bologna, Italy, and summer calendar

Art, history, theatre, music, to immerse yourself in the city of memory and discover its beauties and secrets. The Certosa of Bologna summer calendar, the review of cultural events curated by the Civic Museum of the Risorgimento of Bologna, with the contribution of Bologna Servizi Cimiteriali, returns from May 26th to November 2nd to enhance and promote the knowledge of the historical, artistic and architectural heritage enclosed in the monumental cemetery, regard as one of the most beautiful and important in Europe. 

The initiative launched in Bologna, which has now reached its fourteenth edition, is among the first national and international initiatives in tackling the complex challenge of changing the perception of cemeteries from places dedicated to the burial of the dead to places of significant cultural interest, which preserve a heritage that reflects the history of the city. Today, thanks to an increasingly widespread sensitivity, taking care of cemeteries means reclaiming the cultural dimensions that these places, which are actual open-air garden-museums, can offer as permanent educational environments for different audiences, from citizens to tourists, from adults to young people.  

About sixty appointments are proposed this year, which include guided tours, thematic visits, animated lessons, concerts and plays: about forty of them will take place during the evening. But there will be also activities at other times of the day – in the morning, in the afternoon, at sunset – and they will be capable of offering elements of astonishment, beauty and meditation thanks to the spectacular and precious monumental setting and its unique scenographic backgrounds. 

Every year, with the Certosa summer calendar, the Civic Museum of the Risorgimento renews an interdisciplinary collaboration agreement with the world of cultural associations, third sector and professional tour guides of the city, for a wide and multifaceted dissemination of the approaches of knowledge related to the monumental complex. 

In 2022, the museum has proposed three main topics, through a public notice for the selection of the project proposals to be included in the program: the history of Bologna in the “Long nineteenth century” (1796-1915); Young Italy, young Europe; Ideas, struggles, emancipation; the tenth anniversary of Lucio Dalla’s death. 

Alongside these three strands are other narrative plots, full of fascination and suggestion, which draw inspiration from the testimonies of the past that the place offers: from funeral rituals, as an element of religious and civic identity, to the biographical events of women who lived in different eras and share the courage of social emancipation inspired by Giuseppe Mazzini’s and the partisans’ ideals. From the history of the Pizzardi family, a protagonist of the economic and political development of Bologna, retraced on the occasion of the centenary of the marquis Carlo Alberto Pizzardi’s death, to the work of the sculptor and medalist Renaud Martelli, author of funerary art masterpieces which were made at the Certosa in the 1940s and 1960s. And, furthermore, the Trekking dell’Altro Mondo, with a dynamic and unusual marathon to experience the Certosa in the spirit of the playable city: guided tours dedicated to great citizens of Bologna, such as Ottorino Respighi, Giorgio Morandi, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Roberto Roversi; the journey of the sculptor Marco Marchesini to discover, in the days of the summer solstice, the astronomical and astrological coincidences that we can find inside and outside the cemetery; the fourth edition of the multi-sensory performance Sound and Silence; the requiem mass between Marco Enrico Bossi and Ildebrando Pizzetti. The thematic guided tours to discover crimes and passions, arcane and mysterious symbols, are also re-proposed, in a few cases with new itineraries: the audience always follows them with great participation. 

In addition to the programming, there is a new element which contributes to the peculiarity of this fourteenth edition. The stage, made up of a harmonious succession of cloisters, rooms, galleries, aedicles and chapels, with examples of highly-regarded funerary art, an expression of the main styles and artistic currents between the XIX and XX centuries, offers a rediscovered point of attractiveness in the portico, included among the 12 components selected as a representative expression of the urban identity of Bologna and its system of covered walkways, which in 2021 were awarded with the UNESCO World Heritage recognition. 

Highlighting its involvement in an international network for the enhancement of historic cemeteries, the Bolognese event starts on the occasion of the annual Week of Discovering European Cemeteries, organized by the ASCE – Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe to raise the awareness of European citizens on the importance of cemeteries, and present them from a different perspective to all their visitors.

As usual, the calendar will extend beyond the summer season and will end symbolically in remembrance on November 2nd, 2022, the day on which the Day of the Dead is celebrated. 

The Civic Museum of the Risorgimento participates in the SE.F.IT. technical committee, created for the historical-artistic enhancement of the Italian monumental cemeteries, made up of a small group of members of UTILITALIA-SE.F.IT (Servizi Funerari Italiani), among which are the cemeteries of Genoa, Turin, Rome, Ferrara, Milan, Trento, Bolzano, Mantua, Parma and Modena. 

On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the death of Giuseppe Mazzini, on May 26th, Bologna, with its wonderful Certosa Cemetery, will be the pilot city where the national project “GIOVINE ITALIA, GIOVINE EUROPA – ideas, struggles, emancipation - 2022 Historical Reenactment”, proposed by 8cento APS and to which the technical committee has adhered, will start. New cultural itineraries, animated by scenes with participants in nineteenth-century costumes, will travel throughout Italy to celebrate the memory of female characters who participated in or contributed actively to write the history of Mazzini. 

The Certosa’s 2022 summer calendar has been created by Istituzione Bologna Musei | Civic Museum of the Risorgimento with: Associazione Co.Me.Te., Coro Euridice, Associazione Dolci Accenti - Educazione e Divulgazione Musicale, Istantanea Teatro, Associazione culturale Memori, Jaya - MetROzero, Cooperativa sociale Mirarte, Gruppo teatrale Più o Meno, Associazione culturale Rimachèride, Teatro Circolare.

With the collaboration of: 8cento APS, ASCE - Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe, Associazione Amici della Certosa, MIA – Musei Inclusivi e Aperti, Padri Passionisti, Teatro del Baraccano.

In the context of: Bologna Estate 2022, the program of activities promoted by the Municipality of Bologna and the Metropolitan City of Bologna – Bologna-Modena Tourist Territory. 

With the contribution of: Bologna Servizi Cimiteriali

Info and complete programme: www.museibologna.it/risorgimento

Certosa of Bologna designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the porticos of the city

On July 28, 2021, the porticos of Bologna were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

The candidacy process began in 2006, when they became part of the Italian list of candidate sites. The property includes 12 groups of porticos and the surrounding built-up areas, located within the Municipality of Bologna.

This architectural typology is undoubtedly the most representative of the city and extends for a total of 62 kilometers. It is, in fact, considered an element of urban identity - as the Italian Minister of Cultural Heritage Dario Franceschini underlines, highlighting how its unique nature deserves to be promoted. 

In the course of 2020 the candidacy dossier has been revised, enriched and strengthened by including other places in the fabric of the city of historical, architectural and artistic importance closely related to the porticos selected, such as the Palazzo della Mercanzia, the Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Baraccano, the system of Piazze (Maggiore, Re Enzo and Nettuno), the stretch of the plain of the portico of San Luca up to the Arco Bonaccorsi, the Pinacoteca Nazionale, the portico of Alemanni and part of the monumental area of the Certosa Cemetery. 

With this recognition, the Certosa of Bologna Monumental Cemetery becomes a World Heritage Site. 

The straight porticoed structure over seven hundred meters long that connects the cemetery to the portico of San Luca - the longest in the world - is a unique example of a modern sepulchral portico, built between 1811 and 1834 thanks to the generosity of its citizens. Ercole Gasparini's project was to physically connect the city of the dead with the city of the living, continuing the centuries-old local tradition of connecting places outside the city center to the city. 

The Certosa Cemetery was founded in 1801 after the Napoleonic edict of Saint-Cloud, on the model of the ancient Roman sepulchral roads, converting the Carthusian convent built in 1334, of which today the church of San Girolamo remains. The monumental complex is the result of an articulated stratification of loggias, cloisters and buildings belonging to various chronological phases, whose fulcrum is represented by the Chiostro Terzo, which is influenced by the local neoclassical culture. Inside, there is a noteworthy repertoire of paintings and sculptures made by the most virtuous Bolognese artists active in the 19th and 20th centuries. 

In the cemetery are housed some important local and national figures: among them the statesman Marco Minghetti; the painters Giorgio Morandi and Bruno Saetti; the Nobel Prize for literature Giosue Carducci and the writer Riccardo Bacchelli; the opera singer Carlo Broschi, the composer Ottorino Respighi and the singer Lucio Dalla; the general Giuseppe Grabinski and the prime minister Taddeo Matuszevic; as well as the founders of the companies Maserati, Ducati and Weber and of the publishing house Zanichelli. 

Throughout the nineteenth century, the Cemetery was a privileged destination for visitors to Bologna, whose most illustrious names include: Lord Byron, Jules Janin, Charles Dickens and Theodor Mommsen.

It is, therefore, an exceptional place from the historical and cultural artistic point of view in the national and international panorama, worthy of the highest form of protection and promotion. The Portico of Certosa was designed by Ercole Gasparini between 1811 and 1834. In the original idea, the building was meant to be longer, but only the section from the Arco del Meloncello to the Reno Canal was built. In reality, there are traces of another segment, totally distorted and incorporated with the subsequent enlargements: it is a short corridor that runs along the west side of the courtyard of the Monumental Entrance and that preserves some nineteenth-century tombs. Gasparini's idea was that the portico should connect seamlessly with the Certosa, reaching its center, giving real form to an ideal union between the city of the living and the city of the dead. 

The area selected as UNESCO heritage is the one that has more relevance both from an architectural and theoretical point of view with Gasperini's project. Some areas of the twentieth century are thus included because they were built respecting the urban form of the nineteenth-century cemetery (Chiostro VIII, Chiostro IX for example) or because they conclude an idea that was never realized. The Chiostro VI or of the Great War was completed almost a century after the Portico della Certosa, but it traces the area and the spirit of what should have been the 'Chiostro del Pantheon' which was only realized in the south side, then demolished and preserved only for the monuments that had been built in the meantime. It is not by chance that in this part of the VI Cloister there are some tombs dating back to the beginning of the nineteenth century, such as the one dedicated to the sculptor Alessandro Franceschi, whose presence would not be explained otherwise.

Certosa Monumental Cemetery (Bologna, Italy)

Unlike many Italian monumental cemeteries, that were built from scratch, this cemetery was created by reutilizing the structures of the pre-existent monastery of San Girolamo di Casara, founded in 1334.

Beginnings of the cemetery

Even though nowadays it appears fully integrated into the urban environment of the city, its location was chosen in 1801 rightly because of its distance from the residential area and for the opportunity to adapt it easily. Starting from 1797, year of its suppression, the monastic building underwent many transformations, demolitions and extensions, so that the original structure is only partially visible.

Already in 1801, the fence at the north of the cemetery was built and decorated with terracotta sculptures by G. Putti, where a new monumental entrance was opened.

The first works included readjustments of the monastery spaces, whilst from 1833 the construction aspired towards a more complex structure, with exedrae, biaxial elements, symmetries aimed at a greater monumental ambition.

Main parts of the cemetery

Between 1816 and 1834 the main rooms of the Certosa were built: the "Hall of the Graves" (in 1816), the "Arcade of the Graves" (in 1833) and immediately after that the "Gemina Hall" and the "Colombario" - an impressive building with three naves inspired by the Roman thermal architecture. The building of the "Elliptical Hall", a small body to connect the nineteenth and twentieth-century group, dates back to 1834, while in 1860 the previous "Chapel of the Suffrages" was turned into the "Gallery of Angels". Soon after this last one, the "Three-Aisled Gallery" was built, connecting the structures built until then.

A different interpretation of the spaces started at the beginning of the twentieth century, according to a more monumental and rhetorical viewpoint: significant examples of this period are the "Sixth Cloister" with the "World War I Memorial", the "Eighth" and the "Ninth Cloister", with the annexed galleries. In 1924, the new entrance was built, at the end of the colonnade, near the Reno canal.

Cemetery artwork

Along these spaces of the cemetery, visitors can admire an impressive repertory of monuments, unique in Europe. The most ancient works are showed on the walls of the "Third Cloister" and are mainly frescoes belonging to the most important and distinguished Bolognese families. Only later, the graves started to be decorated with sculptures and different decoration bodies that, until the mid of the nineteenth century, were composed by ‘poor’ materials, such as plaster, stucco, scagliola or terracotta and only afterwards, marble.

Over a period of two centuries many distinguished architects, painters, sculptors worked there, contributing to its unique charm praised to the skies by all its foreign visitors, among whom we may mention Lord Byron and Charles Dickens, Jules Janin, Giacomo Leopardi, Giosue Carducci and many others.

Important people buried at the cemetery

In the cemetery are buried many important people from Italian and Bolognese history, including the statesman Marco Minghetti, the painters Giorgio Morandi and Bruno Saetti, the poet Giosue Carducci and the writer Riccardo Bacchelli, the composer Ottorino Respighi, the Polish officer Giuseppe Grabinski, the entrepreneurs Alfieri Maserati and Edoardo Weber and others.

Culural heritage

The Certosa, together with the Church of San Girolamo, the only building of the ancient monastery that was preserved integrally, represent therefore a journey through the history of Bologna and the lives of some of its most illustrious citizens, but also through Italian and European history and literature. It has been a source of inspiration for poets, men of letters or “simply” cultivated visitors, who would not turn down the possibility to stroll through its cloisters and walks and to take their guests to visit the place. The Certosa has been the subject of a noteworthy production of printed works, if not true tourist guides destined to become in some cases, best-sellers sold in Italy and abroad.

*Photo source: www.ar-tour.com

Address

Certosa Monumental Cemetery
Via della Certosa, 18
40133 Bologna
Italy

Contacts and other info

Phone: +39 051 347592 or +39 051 225583 (Museum of the Risorgimento)

www.museibologna.it/risorgimento
www.storiaememoriadibologna.it/certosa