Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno: An Open Air Museum
One of the largest cemeteries in Europe: Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno is famous for it’s sculptures. Located in Genoa, Italy, the cemetery has an area of around 2 square miles.
In 1835, the city authorities delegated the design of the cemetery, to the Civil Architect Carlo Barabino. He was well know for designing a layout of Genoa’s city center. Also, he constructed a few public buildings: Academy Palace, Carlo Felice Theater, Mental Hospital and so on. Unfortunately, Barabino was a victim of a cholera epidemic, that took many lives in Genoa. Therefore, the work was completed by his student Giovanni Battista Resasco. So, the cemetery of Staglieno was officially opened in 1851.
The cemetery is an incredible place, with powerful and moving monuments. Almost every layer of Genoese society is represented in Staglieno: from a burial ground, with a tombstone to a family tombs. The sites are grouped, as Jewish, Military, with the terraces of Commonwealth War Graves and children. Though, children’s graves are quite sad. There are an extraordinary statues, with angels, sculls and scenes of families in mourning.
Hundreds of monuments from the 19th and 20th centuries, were created by world renown artists: Lorenzo Orengo, Santo Varni, Giulio Monteverde and Giovanni Scanzi, to name a few.
Throughout its history, the cemetery’s expansion lead to enlargements of the arcades. Today, the cemetery of Staglieno is an open air museum, that allows a visitor to reflect on life and death, while admiring an art.
UnusualPlaces Field Notes
- Location
- Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno, Genoa, Liguria, Italy
- Coordinates
- 44.43239, 8.95072
- Access
- The City of Genoa describes free public entry and partial accessibility. Red weather alerts or strong-gale warnings close the cemetery; orange alerts or civil-protection directions suspend cultural activities and guided visits. Use the cemetery’s current notices before setting out.
- Admission
- Independent entry to the cemetery is free. Guided walks are scheduled separately by the City; check the current municipal tour calendar for availability and any tour contribution.
- Time needed
- The municipal guided-visit page currently lists a 1 hour 30 minute tour. This is a guided-tour duration, not a required or fixed length for exploring the cemetery independently.
- Opening hours
- Open daily 07:30–17:00; last entry is 30 minutes before closing. On December 25 and Easter it is open 07:30–13:00. Closed January 1 and 6, Easter Monday, June 24, August 15, and December 26, except when one of these holidays falls on Sunday (the municipal page says open 07:30–16:30). Red weather alerts or strong-gale warnings close the cemetery.
- Location checked
- 2026-09-24
- Facts checked
- 2026-09-30
Location
Use the zoom buttons or pinch to zoom. Use arrow keys to pan when the map is focused.
Interactive map loads when in view.
Explorer Passport
Next badge: Trail Scout
Unlocked after exploring 5 different unusual places.
0 of 5 places explored
Discover more from Unusual Places
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
