Introducing Italian Cemetery Tourism Custom-designed tours

Cemetery tourism can be seen as part of the current overall interest in dark tourism, driven at least in part by the move of the Gothic from the periphery to the mainstream of popular culture. In its modern form, it began in early 19th century Paris, as Pere Lachaise became a fashionable destination for the living as well as the dead. As more and more tourist guidebooks, perhaps catering to the interests of younger travellers, feature cemeteries as interesting urban locations, cities seem keener to develop cemetery tourism as part of their visitor attraction portfolio. At the European level, the Association of Significant Cemeteries of Europe is working hard to promote and develop cemeteries as significant cultural resources, of interest equally to residents and visitors. More locally, there are a growing number of Friends groups who have the same aims, using guide books and guided tours to raise the profile of their sites and using their collective strength to support the owners in conserving and developing the material aspects of the property.

For most people, a visit to a cemetery as part of a holiday is not a dark tourism episode. It is, rather, a way to get another, more oblique view of the social or cultural history of the host city or region, and to view the works of local architects and sculptors. For the dark tourist, however, the imagined presence of the dead – or indeed Death itself – amid the rich symbolism of grave markers and atmospheric surroundings, provides a sensational or emotional pleasure, rooted in Romantic or Gothic art and literature.

Cemeteries and graveyards can be a powerful and important reminder of the past and an essential component of a communities local history Interpreting Graveyards & Cemeteries Heritage interpretation & tourism of the dead!

Ghoulish as it may sound, graveyard tourism or cemetery tourism is a growing phenomenon around the world. The final resting place of the dead sounds like an unlikely tourist attraction, but destinations around the world are beginning promote memorials, cemeteries & graveyards to attract visitors wanting to trace their roots or pay homage to long-dead hero’s and villains. Most historic towns and villages have a cemetery worth exploring and many larger cities have graveyards reserved for the powerful, rich and famous (or infamous!) and a stroll around one of the big cemeteries such as Highgate in London or Pere-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris is fascinating and absorbing experience. War and battlefield cemeteries and memorials are a big draw for visitors looking for the graves of long lost relatives. Many families can trace an ancestor who paid the ultimate sacrifice and is buried in a land far from home and the interested in battlefields from the Somme to Gettysburg, Isandlwana to Gallipoli continues to grow. Old cemeteries contain a wealth of fascinating and often unusual tombs, grave stones and architecture which are an important link to local social history. One of the most interesting things about graveyards for visitors is the use of art and symbols on older tombs and gravestones. Usually the symbols have a cryptic or hidden meaning, by interpreting and understanding these symbols usually reveals interesting facts and stories about the person buried below! Gravestone art and symbolism is different in different parts of the world and there are often changes in designs and types of symbols used over time. This is something that should be researched for any cemetery interested in interpreting its stories. Some small community or village cemeteries can be very powerful even if they are lacking ornate gravestones. The Dougherty-Miller Cemetery located in Indiana, USA is a good example of this; This cemetery from the late 1800's was for “blacks only”. There are only a few headstones showing today, like the one on the left, of a black civil war veteran who was only allowed to be buried in this sad little plot. The site was on the verge of being totally lost amongst the trees and undergrowth before the local community recognised its importance and began to clear, restore and interpret the site. This little cemetery is a powerful and important reminder of a darker past and is an important part of local history. The interpretive experience developed by the community (with a little help from HDC team!) will send chills down your back and the memory of your visit will stay with you forever.

Some significant cemeteries in Italy : custom-designed tours

Certosa Ferrara San Prospero Sassuolo

Osservanza Faenza Verano Roma

Crespi d’Adda Bergamo

English Firenze

Historical Poggioreale

Monumentale Torino

La Villetta Parma

Monumentale Trento

Oropa biella

Staglieno genova

capri

St.anna trieste

Suburbano ed ebraico reggio emilia

Porte sante firenze