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 permits free public entry and describes the site as partially accessible. Follow cemetery etiquette and posted restrictions. The City closes it during red weather alerts or strong-gale warnings; access can also change on holidays or for safety notices.
- Admission
- Free public entry. Municipal guided tours are separate scheduled activities; check the City’s current calendar for dates, booking requirements and any tour-specific charge.
- Time needed
- A municipal guided visit is listed at about 1 hour 30 minutes. This is a tour estimate, not a limit or required duration for independent visits.
- Best season
- The City does not name a best season. Visit on a day when the cemetery is open; severe-weather warnings can close the grounds, and holiday hours differ.
- Opening hours
- Regular public hours are daily 07:30–17:00, with last entry 30 minutes before closing. On Easter Sunday and December 25, the City lists 07:30–13:00; it lists closures on January 1 and 6, Easter Monday, June 24, August 15 and December 26, with an exception when some listed holidays fall on Sunday. Red weather alerts or strong-gale warnings close the cemetery. Check the City notice before travelling.
- Location checked
- 2026-09-24
- Facts checked
- 2026-10-29
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