Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno – gallery of art, memory, and landscape in Genoa

History and description

Designed starting in 1835 by Carlo Barabino and completed in 1851 by Giovanni Battista Resasco, while maintaining a neoclassical and monumental style, the Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno is a quadrangular and scenic structure with galleries, porticoes, a Pantheon, a monumental staircase, and a harmonious integration into the green slopes of the Staglieno hill. It is considered a vast open‑air museum, preserving along its avenues funerary monuments, chapels, statues, and tombs of great artistic value, mostly dating back to the 19th and early 20th centuries. Among those buried here are illustrious figures such as Giuseppe Mazzini, Fabrizio De André, Ferruccio Parri, and many others. The site’s architecture combines neoclassical elements with naturalistic features, creating a strong connection between funerary art, memory, and landscape.

Curiosities

The cemetery was a great source of inspiration for artists and writers, including Mark Twain, who described it as “the most touching and impressive burial ground I have ever seen.”

Access

Open daily from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm, the cemetery is accessible free of charge.

How to reach it

The site is easily reachable by car, taking the Genova Est exit of the A12 motorway, or by city bus, with lines 12 or 14.

Guardian of memory, art, and history, Staglieno embodies the power of remembrance, where every monument, avenue, and statue tells a story that transcends time.

Photo credits: Maurizio Beatrici (Wikipedia) - Licensed by CC 3.0