Monumental Cemetery

The Monumental Cemetery of Milan

This place, where the richest people rest amongst works of art, will remind you that you can't buy life, but rather you just get into debt with it.

Despite everything that can be related to a cemetery, this one is more like an open air museum than anything else. Divided as it is, there are maps with the name of the family and then the name of the artist that created the work of art.

It's pretty big, so I'd recommend you go there with time to spare so you can see it without being rushed or stressed. The streets are like a labyrinth, it's better to go around in a determined order so you won't miss anything and you won't have to double back (which is what I ended up doing).

What can you find in a cemetery?

Nobody has ever liked cemeteries, but this one is different. There are sculptures that will remind you that you have to look death in the face, and others that remind that you have to look life in the eyes.

Maybe if someone took one of these statues to one of the best museums in Milan, the people would come exclusively to learn a bit more about it. However, despite them being works of art, they live in the cemetery.

Opening Hours

The cemetery is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 8 in the morning to 6 in the evening. From what I've heard from my friends is that it's a good idea to visit it at night (here in Milan, the sun will have already gone down by 17:00), since they say that everything is lit up then and it's even more beautiful.

How to get there

You'll find at its own metro stop called "cementerio monumentale" on the purple line. When you get off at this stop, you'll be right at the gates of the cemetery, you can't miss it.

From the U22 residence, you have to:

1. Take the 53 to sesto Marelli.
2. Metro red line (Sesto Marelli - Loreto)
3. Change to the metro green line (Loreto - Garibaldi)
4. Change to the purple metro line (Garibaldi - Cementerio monumentale)

If you want to make the most of your two days in Milan, this article will be a huge help. Take a look!