Guided walk "The Piratello in the Feminine"

On 31 October and 1 November 2025, visit Piratello Cemetery in Imola, Italy, for the guided walk "The Piratello in the Feminine: Noble Benefactors, Devout Women, Partisans, and Scientists".

About the event

As part of the Urban Trekking initiative, Le Guide d’Arte, in collaboration with Area Blu S.p.A., is organising a special guided walk through the Piratello Cemetery in Imola titled "The Piratello in the Feminine: Noble Benefactors, Devout Women, Partisans, and Scientists".

This walk highlights the lives and contributions of women across different eras and social classes. Figures range from devout, family-oriented women to noblewomen such as the tragic Countess Orsola Bandini-Tozzoni and Desideria Pasolini Dall’Onda, founder of Italia Nostra. Participants will also discover women who left their mark in literature and science, including the nonconformist writer Eugenia Codronchi Argeli, known as “Sfinge,” and Giuseppina Cattani, the first woman admitted to Bologna’s prestigious Medical-Surgical Society. Furthermore, the route commemorates acts of courage, from Bianca Bizzi, whose family saved six Jewish individuals from deportation and death, to midwife Delvina Poggi, arrested and imprisoned in the Rocca fortress, as well as the partisans resting in the crypt of the PLH building.

Along the walk, visitors will have the opportunity to admire funerary monuments of particular artistic interest, many notable for their depictions of the female figure.

Location and schedule

The walk begins at the courtyard in front of the offices of Area Blu S.p.A., Via Emilia Ponente 24, 40026 Imola (BO).

Starting times:

• 31 October 2025 at 10:00 a.m.
• 1 November 2015 at 3:00 p.m.

Covering approximately 2 kilometers, the walk lasts around two hours, offering a reflective and visually rich experience.

Registration details

Registration for the event is required using this reservation form. Each participant may book up to two walks to allow broader participation in the Urban Trekking event.

For more information, visit the Sito Ufficiale del Territorio Turistico Bologna–Modena website or contact the organizers on WhatsApp at +39 347 7425404.

*Cover photo source: www.bolognawelcome.com

Naturalmente Imola 2025 at Piratello Cemetery

On 28 September 2025, a guided tour will be held at the Piratello Cemetery in Imola, Italy, as part of the Naturalmente Imola program.

About Naturalmente Imola

Naturalmente Imola (Eng. Naturally Imola) is a cultural and environmental initiative promoted by the Municipality of Imola, Italy. It features guided tours, talks, and other activities designed to highlight the city’s natural heritage and to foster greater awareness of the relationship between people, landscapes, and biodiversity.

Program

As part of the 2025 edition, two events dedicated to the theme of trees and their significance in contemporary society will take place on Sunday, 28 September.

➤ 3:00 PM – Piratello Cemetery
Event: Great Trees at Piratello
Description: Guided tour led by Stefano Tedioli, an arborist with over thirty years of professional experience, lecturer, and specialist in urban tree management. The tour will provide insights into the analysis and care of trees in urban contexts, which are increasingly affected by climate change.

➤ 5:00 PM – Ridotto of the Stignani Theater
Event: The Sun and the Moon, the Roots and the Enigma of Great Terrestrial Trees – Or How Tree-Giants Could Save Us from Time and from Ourselves
Description: Meeting with writer Tiziano Fratus. His work, inspired by encounters with monumental trees, historic gardens, and forests in Italy and abroad, has developed into an original body of thought and literature. Among his central concepts are Homo Radix, Dendrosophy, and the Itinerant Forest, expressed through publications ranging from poetry and prose to children’s literature, exhibitions, and meditations.

The events are organized jointly by the Municipality of Imola in collaboration with CIMS.

The full program of Naturalmente Imola (in Italian) is available HERE.

Reservations required

For more information and reservations, please contact attivita.culturali@comune.imola.bo.it or call +39 0542 602300.

Literary event at Piratello Cemetery

On September 21, 2024, Imola’s Piratello Cemetery hosted an enchanting evening featuring readings from Valérie Perrin’s novel "Cambiare l’acqua ai fiori".

About the event

On Saturday, September 21, 2024, a unique literary event took place at the Piratello Cemetery in Imola, Italy. Alfonso Cuccurullo, an acclaimed Italian actor, director, and voice actor, captivated attendees with readings from "Cambiare l’acqua ai fiori” (eng. "Fresh Water for Flowers"), the poignant novel by Valérie Perrin (Edizioni E/O, 2019).

The readings, which began at 18.30, created an enchanting atmosphere as participants gathered in the serene surroundings of Imola’s historic cemetery. Cuccurullo’s expressive delivery brought the themes of life, loss, and memory from the novel to life, inviting reflection among listeners.

More information about the event can be found HERE.

*Photo source: https://www.culturaimola.it/events/alfonso-cuccurullo-al-cimitero-del-piratello

WDEC 2024 at the Piratello Cemetery

On Saturday, June 1st, 2024, a guided tour will take place at the Piratello Cemetery in Imola, Italy, exploring the theme of women and botany.

About the event

On the occasion of the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries, a free guided tour will be held at the Piratello Monumental Cemetery on Saturday, June 1st, 2024, at 10 AM and 3:30 PM.

The tour will explore the theme of women and botany in history and art, both in Imola and beyond. This journey through remembrance will uncover the stories of female figures and botanical elements planted and depicted within the Piratello Monumental Cemetery.

Reservations are required by Friday, May 31st, at 12:00 PM. Please call 0542 602609 or email musei@comune.imola.bo.it to reserve a spot. Each tour accommodates a maximum of 25 people.

Meeting point: In front of the Piratello Monumental Cemetery office building, via Emilia Ponente 19A.

The event is organized by Area Blu, the Municipality of Imola, the Museums Sector, the Metropolitan City of Bologna, and the Emilia-Romagna Region.

Philosophical walk "Say you to the divine"

On 24 May 2023, a philosophical walk entitled "Say you to the divine" will take place at the Piratello Cemetery in Imola, Italy.

About the event

The event "Say you to the divine - philosophical walk" will take place on Wednesday, 25 May 2023, from 6.30 pm to 8.00 pm, starting at the parking area of the Monumental cemetery of Piratello next to the via Emilia.

We will take silent and aware steps in a wonderful “waiting place”, to learn to grasp faces in the light of the Face, and in the voices the vibrating of the Voice.

The walk will be guided by Giorgio Sgubbi (philosopher and theologian) and Gianmaria Beccari (teacher of philosophy and Feldenkrais®method).

Reservations required

The places are limited and therefore reservations are required at the email passeggiate.filosofiche@gmail.com or by phone 349 0774117.

Entry is free with voluntary contributions.

The initiative will also take place in case of rain, at the church of the sanctuary of the Beata Vergine del Piratello.

Guided tour "Among the big trees of Piratello"

On 6 May 2023, a guided tour will take place at the Piratello Cemetery in Italy, dedicated to Imola’s notable personalities who took care of the environment.

About the guided tour

The guided tour will take place on Saturday, 6 May 2023, at 2.30 pm, starting at the entrance of the Monumental cemetery of Piratello by the office building (Emilia ponenete 24, Imola).

Guided tour "Among the big trees of Piratello - the personalities who took care of the environment" follows the architectural development of the cemetery from the opening to the latest creations with the identification of the notable essences still present and the burials of personalities who for various aspects (legislative, geological, social) have dealt with development of the environment.

Even deep changes to the natural environment of the place often happen with significant human interventions, but then the built elements and the vegetation together created a new environment.

We will retrace the evolutionary history of the Piratello cemetery both in the monumental part and in the more recent part. Along the way, the botanical aspect will be highlighted together with the architectural one. The development of the tour includes visits to the burials of notable characters who have contributed to the development of today’s concept of environment. Some examples: Scarabelli, Pasolini dall’Onda, Codronchi, Marabini Andrea, Azzi.

The tour will be guided by Daniela Martelli and Marco Pelliconi.

Reservations required

The places for the guided tour are limited to a maximum of 25 people.
Information and reservations at the email attivita.culturali@comune.imola.bo.it or by phone 0542 602300.

The event is organized by ANPI Imola and CIDRA.

Stories of the great women of Imola

On 11 March 2023, a guided tour will take place at Piratello Cemetery in Italy, dedicated to the great women of Imola.

A.N.P.I-IMOLA - C.I.D.R.A and Ass. Perledonne organise a guided tour at the Piratello Monumental Cemetery to tell the stories of Imola’s Great women - important figures in local and Italian history.

The event already took place on 4 March and will now be repeated on 11 March 2023, at 10.00am. Meeting place is at the “porticato basilica di Piratello” west side (towards Bologna).

The tour will be guided by:

• Marco Pelliconi, for the biographies
• Daniela Martelli, for the architectural heritage

Free attendance upon reservation on the email imola@anpi.it and by phone 0542-23131 or 3331229152.

A voluntary donation to the anti-violence center is welcome.

The guided tour will be carried out in group of a maximum of 25 people.

WDEC 2022: Guided tour at Piratello Cemetery

Discover the historical and architectural relevance of the Piratello Cemetery (Imola, Italy) on June 4, 2022.

"Under the shadow of a beautiful flower"

On Saturday, June 4, 2022, at 10am, a guided tour will take place at the Piratello Cemetery (40026 IMOLA via Emilia Ponente 24/a) on the topic "Under the shadow of a beautiful flower".

In the company of Daniela Martelli and Marco Pelliconi we will discover the historical and architectural relevance of the Piratello Cemetery and the well-known personalities who are buried there.

The event is curated by ANPI Imola and CIDRA.

Reservations required

The tour can be attended by a maximum of 25 people. Reservations are required by phone 0542 23131 (on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 9 to 11.30 am) or via email imola@anpi.it.

Guided tour at Piratello Cemetery (May 2022)

Join us on a journey through the botanical revelations of the Piratello Cemetery (Imola, Italy) on May 14, 2022.

Encounters in the green

On Saturday, May 14, 2022, at 10am, a guided tour will take place at the Piratello Cemetery (40026 IMOLA via Emilia Ponente 24/a) on the topic “Encounters in the green”.

In the company of Daniela Martelli and Marco Pelliconi we will take a journey through the major and historical botanical relevance in the cemetery, supplemented by biographies of well-known personalities who are buried there.

Reservations required

The tour can be attended by a maximum of 25 people. Reservations are required via ioPrenoto app or attivita.culturali@comune.imola.bo.it.

200th Anniversary of the Piratello Cemetery

Imola's monumental cemetery is organizing special guided tours in honor of its 200th anniversary.

Inauguration of the commemorative plaque

On Saturday, October 30, 2021, at 15.45, you are invited to the inauguration of the restored commemorative plaque which marks 200 years from the blessing of the first cloister at the Piratello Cemetery. The inauguration will start at the old part of the cemetery and will then continue in the sanctuary of Piratello.

You can find the official invitation in Italian HERE.

Guided tours at the Piratello Cemetery

Also in honor of the 200th anniversary of the cemetery, ANPI and CIDRA is organizing guided tours on the memorial site where are cherished testimonies from prominent citizens relevant to the local and italian history. The guided tours will take place:

• on Thursday, November 4, 2021, at 14.00
• on Saturday, November 6, 2021, at 11.00

You can find the official invitation in Italian HERE.

Attendance to the inauguration and to the guided tours is free prior reservation. You can make the reservation at the email imola@anpi.it.

The Piratello Cemetery (Imola, Italy)

The 200 years old Piratello Cemetery is one of the seven cemeteries in the city of Imola.

About the cemetery

The Piratello Cemetery was built 3,5km away from the city centre. Back then, that location was chosen to avoid any epidemiological contagion. A plaque located on the arch connecting the Garden-Cloister with the North-West cemetery reminds us that on 29th October 1821 the land designated to become the Cemetery of the City of Imola was blessed. The cemetery then started to be in use on 1st February 1822. Today it reflects the history of the city through its most illustrious people and bears witness to the architectural evolution of the last 200 years.

At the beginning of 1978, a project was drawn up, aiming to enlarge the cemetery eastwards. The first graves were placed in the new part in 1985. The various segments continued to be added with no interruptions within the framework of a single project that was accomplished in 1995. The latest ones can be found south of these structures and were formed between 1999 and 2002. This architectural portion was granted acknowledgement awards and was described in several specialized publications. Several arcades can be found all over the cemetery. The green grassy expanses, the geometrically-cut edges of laurel and the magnificent cedars and cypresses create extremely rich, harmonious and valuable green spaces.

Main parts of the cemetery

The Garden-Cloister is the main and oldest core of the cemetery. This former cloister of the Franciscan monastery is a very evocative place. Under its arcades lie graves of Imola’s noble families with outstanding works of art. The simple inner garden features centuries-old trees.

The Gran Campo (Great Camp) dates back to the seventies of the 19th century and is surrounded by a tall arcade with dome-shaped pavilions. The eastern dead-end pavilion represents the Famedio where popular, well-deserving and donor citizens were buried, as well as the mayors of the town. Here are the graves of very well-known people, such as Giuseppina Cattani and Andrea Costa, whose epigraph engraved on the tombstone that contains his ashes was written by Giovanni Pascoli.

The Monumental Camp, built in 1916, houses the families’ funerary chapels. Access to this area is provided by a wide staircase, on top of which there is the Shrine of the Fallen during the 1st World War. The sculpture of the Victory over the funerary crypt was made by the artist Cleto Tomba. The crypt dedicated to the fallen partisans who joined the Resistance movement during the 2nd World War is located in the southern end of the Monumental Camp, inside a building with arcades and polychrome windows, started before the 2nd World War and finished in 1955. 

Starting from 1944 the occupying German troops arranged the graves of the fallen German soldiers. They stayed here until the winter of 1961/62 when the tombs were moved to the war cemetery at the Futa Pass.

Contacts

Phone: +39 0542 40006
Email: servizicimiteri@areablu.com

Opening hours

Winter time: from 7:00 to 18:30
Summer time: from 7:00 to 19:30

Basic data

Number of graves: 35.411
Cemetery size: 127.887m2
Cemetery type: Municipal and civil