A great day at the Milan Monumental Cemetery

On the 2nd of April 2023, the unveiling ceremony of the restored Maciachini’s family tomb took place at the Milan Monumental Cemetery in Italy.

A glorious spring day on the 2nd of April 2023 marked the unveiling ceremony of the restored Maciachini’s family tomb at the Milan Monumental Cemetery. The Association of Amici del Monumentale di Milano, promoter of the restoration, could count on the contribution of Fondazione di Comunità Milano and the Municipality of Induno Olona.

The rich program of the day featured around 60 people attending the high-value conference on Maciachini. A musical interlude by La Banda d’Affori, one of the most ancient and famous bands in Milan, took place in the “secret garden” of the cemetery and during the unveiling ceremony.

Many representatives of the institutions, among them Mrs. Gaia Romani – Councillor of Milan Municipal Services, Architect Federica Cavalleri, Monuments and Fine Arts Office, Mr. Marco Cavallin, mayor of Induno Olona, Maciachini’s birthplace, praised the achieved result for its remarkable significance in terms of monument preservation, historic and artistic memory of this great architect.

The notes of Aida Triumphal March and Hymn to Joy resonated during the unveiling ceremony attended by a large public. The brochure “Account of a restoration work” relating to the different steps from 2018 to the final achievement was distributed.

The family tomb of one of Milan’s most illustrious protagonists was finally given back to its original beauty.

Restoration of Maciachini’s family tomb

On April 2, 2023, the official unveiling of the restored Maciachini’s family tomb will take place at the Milan Monumental Cemetery in Italy.

Carlo Maciachini (1818 - 1899)

The architect Carlo Maciachini was born on April 2, 1818, in Induno Olona and died on June 10, 1899, in Varese. He studied Architecture and Ornamentation at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan. 

His first major work as an architect was the construction of the Serbian-Orthodox Church of San Spiridione in Trieste. Then, in 1863, the international competition launched for building a bigger cemetery in Milan chose his proposal for the design of the new Milan Monumental Cemetery.

Maciachini is universally acclaimed by historians and academics as his eclectic style is a prelude of modern architecture, even if it does not miss tradition.

Restoration of Maciachini’s family tomb

Maciachini’s family tomb is located between two arches in Section A-B of the West Lower Gallery at the Milan Monumental Cemetery and is fully neglected. The association Amici del Monumentale di Milano was established in 2013 with the purpose of safeguarding, perpetuating, enhancing, and promoting the history, art, and cultural heritage of this important cemetery. Considering the great symbolic, historic, and artistic importance of this tomb, the association decided to finance and promote its restoration.

The restoration project has the patronage of the Municipality of Milan, Induno Olona, the Chamber of Architects, City Planners, Landscape-Architects and Curators of the Province of Milan. Pending is the patronage of the Brera Academy of Fine Arts.

During the restoration works, students of the art schools of Milan and province as well as members of the Italian Agency for the Deaf will have a chance to listen to the restorers explaining the various stages of their work, materials and techniques employed.

Amici del Monumentale is also a member of ASCE and FIDAM (Italian Federation of the Friends of Museum). The association has already financed three remarkable restorations: Ave Maria by Giulio Branca, Ecce Puer by Medardo Rosso and The Guardian Angel by Luigi Buzzi Giberto.

Unveiling of the restored tomb (program)

The official unveiling of Maciachini’s restored tomb will take place on April 2, 2023, on Maciachini's 205th birth anniversary, at the Milan Monumental Cemetery.

Conference

At 9.30 am, there will be a conference on the topic "Maciachini, an eclectic positivist", with the participation of prestigious speakers Ornella Selvafolta (architectureal historian) and Sergio Rebora (art historian and history and art curator of the Monumentale). The two restorers, Matteo Pelucchi and Maria Facchinetti, will also participate and will report about the restoration process, respectively for the stone elements and metal parts.

All visitors will receive a brochure "Account of a restoration work" illustrating the various restoration stages.

Musical interlude

At 10.30 am, there will be a musical interlude with "La Banda d'Affori".

Unveiling ceremony

At 11.00 am, the unveiling ceremony will take place, attended by the Councillor Gaia Romani and Marco Cavallin, mayor of Induno Olona, Maciachini's birthplace. A guided walk to the chapels and monuments executed by Maciachini will take place soon after the ceremony.

You can find the official invitation (in Italian) HERE.

WDEC 2022 in Milan

On May 31st and June 1st, two special walks will take place at the Milan Monumental Cemetery with students of San Carlo High School.

Schools on cemeteries

The Association Amici del Monumentale of Milan has been working with schools since 2016. Over 350 students mainly from high-schools, but also from lower and middle schools, as well as their teachers, have been taken around the Milan Monumental Cemetery. They come from art, language and socio-pedagogical schools in which focus on subjects such as art, history and culture is paramount.

Lower schools also received a peculiar attention: besides organizing walks for them at the cemetery to observe monuments and explain their historical, artistic and religious meaning, a booklet including photographs and explanations of the works of art taken into account was subsequently published under the aegis of Milan’s City Council Presidency. 

With the regard to the so-called learning and working scheme in high-schools, training programmes of several months were carried out ending in a final test.

WDEC 2022 program

During the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries 2022, Amici del Monumentale will conduct two walks with San Carlo High School, one of the most important in Milan, on May 31st and June 1st, 2022, respectively.

AGM 2020: A thank you from Milan

Milan, the original host of the AGM 2020, has recently sent a thank you gift to all ASCE members.

Due to the overall situation across Europe in the past year, the AGM 2020 in Milan, Italy, had to be postponed. Instead, a shorter online AGM was executed, during which the ASCE presidency met in Vienna, Austria, and led an online meeting with live broadcasting.

In July 2021, Milan, the original host of AGM 2020, sent a thank you gift to all ASCE members as a token of closeness and connection, and also as a symbolic re-invitation to meet, participate and exchange views.

The package included a special-edition guide of the Milan Monumental Cemetery which was created as a result of collaborative effort between the Municipality of Milan, Bracco Foundation and the Association Amici del Monumentale di Milano and represents a fruitful form of partnership and cooperation between the public and private sector and voluntary organizations.

We thank Milan for this kind gesture and hope to have the opportunity to attend an ASCE Annual General Meeting with them in the near future.

Photoceramic portraits, an unsuspected cultural heritage

Photoceramics was born in France in 1854 as a decorating technique for pottery. Soon, it became a simple but notable way to portray the dead on their tombs.

Open air museum 2019 at Milan Monumental Cemetery

The fifth edition of the “Open air museum” will start in Milan (Italy) on Sunday, June 30th 2019.

During the "Open air museum", the Milan Monumental Cemetery will become the scene of many cultural initiatives with the participation of numerous Italian and foreign visitors. Events will take place every last Sunday of the month, from June to October 2019.

More info HERE.

The program on June 30th

Matinees curated by Fondazione Milano

From 10.00 to 12.00 → Screening

The documentary film entitled “L’immobile” will be featured in the conference room. It`s a film with psychovox music made by the students of the Civic School of Cinema Luchino Visconti - Francesco Biselli, Annesa Elia, Luana Giardino and Alberto Redighieri.

At 10.00, 10.30 and 11.30 → Guided tours

Guided tours will start from the external square of the Milan Monumental Cemetery and will be carried out by volunteers of the Civil Service of the Monumental Cemetery.

At 11.00 → A short theatrical performance

The theatrical performance entitled “Canta che ti passa – Bertani amputa Mameli” will take place in the lower gallery of the west [C]. It`s curated by the graduates of the Paolo Grassi Civic School of Theater - Luca Rodella with Stefano Annoni and Giuseppe Palasciano. Music by Roberto Dibitonto.

At 12.30 → Concert

The concert entitled “Gaffurio e i Maestri di Cappella nel Duomo di Milano al tempo di Leonardo” will take place in the Famedio (Memorial Chapel). It`s curated by the graduates and students of the Civic School of Music Claudio Abbado and executed by the choir “I civici cori” in collaboration with Francesco Girardi, Luigi Panzeri and Mario Valsecchi.

Maciachini, the Architect

Sunday, 9th June, 2019, 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, 9th June, 2019, 10:30 a.m. at the Monumentale Cemetery in Milan, in partnership with the Municipality of Milan and in cooperation with the Company Gioco Fiaba, the Friends of the Monumentale will stage a theatricalized walk to finish the celebrations in style for the 200th birth anniversary and 120th death anniversary of Carlo Maciachini (April 8th, 1818 - June 10th, 1899), the great architect of the Monumentale.

The walk will be guided by Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory who will go back in time to meet the affectionally named Great Mac. Together with his wife Rosa, who gave him nine sons, and his master-builder who took part in the drafting of the project to erect a "new large cemetery in Milan", the walk will go back over Maciachini's ideas and doubts.

Visitors will be explained his most beautiful fuenrary monuments built for important Milanese families.

Families with children are welcomed. Free admission.

WDEC 2019: "Open air museum day" at Milan Monumental Cemetery

The Municipal Administration of Milan, in order to enhance and promote the Monumental Cemetery, has planned a series of events called ''Monumentale: Musei a cielo aperto''.

Friends of Museums’ Day 2018 at the Monumental Cemetery of Milan

On 7th October 2018, discover the Heroes of World War I on a guided walk at the Monumental Cemetery of Milan.

Program of the next Open air museum event in Milan

On Sunday, 30th September 2018, enjoy a day of theatre, music, cinema and guided tours at the Monumental Cemetery of Milan.

Open air museum at the Monumental Cemetery of Milan, Italy

On Sunday, 26th August 2018, enjoy a day of theatre, music, cinema and theme walks at the Monumental Cemetery of Milan.

Cemetery Monumentale: Open Air Museum

The Municipality of Milan, in order to enhance and promote the Monumental Cemetery, is this year organizing, together with the Fondazione Milano Scuole Civiche, the "Monumentale: Open Air Museum" exhibition that will take place every last Sunday of the month until October.   

WDEC in Milan (Monumental Cemetery), Italy

#EuropeForCulture The Municipality of Milan, in order to enhance and promote the Monumental Cemetery, is organizing this year, together with the Fondazione Milano Scuole Civiche, the "Monumental: Open-air Museum" exhibition that will take place every last Sunday of the month, from May to October.

First case in Italy for an Art Curator, Sergio Rebora, to cooperate with City Council (Milan)

The Friends of the Monumentale of Milan are proud to annouce that as a result of their petition signed   by over 1,200 people, the Municipality appointed an Art Curator with the specific tasks of mapping graves, works of art and promoting the artistic and cultural heritage of the cemetery.    

Monumental cemetery of Milan presents: ''Open for us''

The Friends of the Monumentale invite you to discover and enjoy some monuments that are not open to the public. The event "OPEN FOR US" takes place on March 4th at 2 pm at the Monumentale within the frame of MUSEOCITY. 

Everlasting love: till death do us reunite! (Monumental cemetery of Milan)

A walk at the Monumental Cemetery of Milan
Sunday, February 11th  – 3 pm
Everlasting love: till death do us reunite!

Rasegna museo a cielo aperto, Cimitero Monumentale di Milano

Rasegna museo a cielo aperto, Cimitero Monumentale di Milano, 24 settembre 2017.

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

Monumental cemetery Milano: Tuesday 12th September 2017, 6 PM.

Open Air Museum Day in Milan (Sunday 27 August 2017)

Every last Sunday of the month, from May to October 2017, different activities are taking place at the Milan Monumental Cemetery.

“Rassegna Museo a Cielo Aperto'' (''Festival Open-Air Museum'')

The Municipal Administration of Milan, in order to enhance and promote the Monumental Cemetery, has planned the “Rassegna Museo a Cielo Aperto'' (''Festival Open-Air Museum''), that will be carried out the last Sunday of every month, the organization will be cured by Scuole Civiche Milano Foundation.