WDEC 2026 at Italian Cemeteries

Explore SEFIT Utilitalia events and guided tours at Italian cemeteries during Week of Discovering European Cemeteries 2026.

19 May 2026 | Press Release from the Utilitalia SEFIT Enhancement Working Group

The Utilitalia SEFIT Cemeteries Historical, Artistic, and Touristic Enhancement Working Group is participating at the end of May in an interesting annual project by ASCE: the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries (WDEC). This is a period, sometimes lasting just over a week, to highlight our cemeteries. The theme of this year's event relates to Sustainable Development Goal 4 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda: Quality Education.

Cemeteries are, in fact, places where it is possible to study history, learn about art, and generally delve into issues relating to local culture and society—valuable subjects for building a more sustainable future through knowledge.

With the participation of several member cities of the WG Valorizzazione (Promotion Working Group) in the WDEC project, we are fulfilling the commitments made in 2017 through the Memorandum of Understanding signed between SEFIT and ASCE for the mutual promotion of cultural activities.

The Verano in Rome, the Monumental Cemetery in Turin, the Certosa of Bologna, the Staglieno in Genoa, the Monumental Cemetery in Milan, the Certosa di Ferrara, the Monumental Cemetery in Trento, and the Monumental Cemetery in Verona are among the historic and significant Italian cemeteries that are members of the Utilitalia SEFIT WG and are participating in WDEC 2026 with various cultural activities, events, and themed guided tours. These activities are listed in the booklet, which can be viewed and downloaded from the following link:

• https://heyzine.com/flip-book/2479ba316f.html

WDEC 2023 in Koprivnica

On 1 June 2023, an educational walk was held at the City cemetery "Pri Svetom Duhu" in Koprivnica, Croatia, as part of this year's WDEC.

Educational walk

During the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries 2023, the Municipal Utility Company Komunalac LLC Koprivnica, in cooperation with the Historical Society of Koprivnica, organized an educational walk through the City cemetery "Pri Svetom Duhu" in Koprivnica. The goal was to raise awareness of the importance of cemeteries, their architectural solutions, artistic monuments, and historical facts related to the emergence and development of graves and customs in the cemetery.

The educational walk was held on June 1st, 2023, at 4:00 p.m., by Komunalac and the historian Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sc. Hrvoje Petrić. During the walk, several grave sites were shown that are specific in terms of cultural or historical significance.

Dr. Petrić gave a short lecture on the centuries-old development of the City and the creation of Koprivnica cemeteries in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, and then the educational walk through the cemetery began. Family tombs, chapels and mausoleums are the last resting place of famous people from Koprivnica and are the last witnesses of their existence.

This manifestation was a unique opportunity for the citizens of the city of Koprivnica to get acquainted with the rich history, high artistic, cultural and anthropological works hidden in the City cemetery "Pri Svetom Duhu", and to learn or remember the generations that built this city through this segment of life.

Cemetery brochure

As part of the WDEC 2023, Komunalac created and published a short brochure on the history of the city cemetery, its famous monuments and people buried there. The brochure also provides citizens with useful information about the cemetery's opening hours, contacts and additional information.

The brochure was published on the company's website as well as on social networks.

You can see and download the brochure HERE.

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.

A special book for 20 years of ASCE

An overview of the last 20 years of ASCE, summarized in a special edition printed book.

20 years of ASCE

In 2021, the Association of Significant Cemeteries of Europe (ASCE) celebrated its 20th anniversary. 

As a tribute to this important milestone, a special, more than 100 pages long printed book was prepared, covering a detailed overview of ASCE's operation and activities over the past 20 years - the list of all governing bodies, review of past AGMs and conferences, presentation of the Association and its projects (such as European Cemeteries Route, Cemeteries Entries, Week of Discovering European Cemeteries, EUCEMET, Symbols, Schools on Cemeteries,...), and more.

A special chapter of the book was devoted to articles prepared by all ASCE presidents and some members who shared their own view of the Association, its history, operation and meaning.

A gift for ASCE members

ASCE members who attended this year's AGM and Conference in Belgrade, received the printed book as a gift at the event.  To those members who could not attend the meeting, their copy will be delivered by standard mail in October.

Everyone else who wishes to have the book can download the printable file HERE.