The Cimitero Monumentale is one of Milan's most rewarding and least crowded sights — a vast garden cemetery that doubles as an open-air museum of sculpture. Since it opened in 1866, the city's great industrial and artistic families have competed to commission the finest tombs, and the result is a remarkable survey of Italian art from Romanticism through Symbolism and Art Nouveau to Modernism, all set among cypresses and monumental avenues.
Far from morbid, it's a peaceful, contemplative place to wander — and completely free. Behind the grand striped-marble entrance building, the Famedio, lie the tombs of writers, industrialists and artists including the composer's family of the Toscanini, the novelist Alessandro Manzoni and many of the names behind Milan's rise as Italy's economic capital.
What to see
Pick up the free map at the entrance — it marks the most notable tombs. There's no single route; the pleasure is in wandering. A few things not to miss:
The grand striped-marble 'Temple of Fame' at the entrance, a Neo-Medieval hall honouring Milan's most illustrious citizens, including the novelist Alessandro Manzoni.
Astonishing monuments commissioned by industrial dynasties — bronze Last Suppers, weeping angels and avant-garde memorials by leading Italian sculptors.
A walk-through history of Italian art: Realism, Symbolism, Liberty (Art Nouveau) and Rationalism, all expressed in funerary form.
The tombs of writers, composers and businessmen shaped Milan — pick up the free map at the entrance to find the highlights.
Jaw-dropping
The Cimitero Monumentale is one of the most impressive sights in Milan. Far from a gloomy cemetery, it's a place packed with remarkable sculptures and works of art in every shape and size — genuinely closer to an open-air gallery than a graveyard.
At the main entrance you'll find maps marking the most striking tombs. It's well worth picking one up so you don't miss the finest mausoleums as you wander.
Guided walks, museum tickets and day trips to round out your visit to the city.
Getting there & hours
Admission is free. The cemetery is a working one, so visit respectfully and keep to daytime hours. It's slightly off the tourist trail northwest of the centre, but easy to reach on the metro.
Closed on Mondays. Allow around an hour to wander, or longer with the map. Dress and behave as you would in any active cemetery — this is a place of remembrance as well as art.