No visit to Milan is complete without a tour of Cimitero Monumentale, where the Milanese celebrate death. Sounds a bit creepy, weird and morbid? Just think pyramids in Egypt or Taj Mahal in India. Dating back to 1866, Milan's Monumental Cemetery pays tribute to human spirit regardless of religion. Actually, two newer parts were built to host Jewish and non-Catholic Milanese citizens having contributed to the city's history and urban life.
Apart from the obvious religious character, the churchyard is a full-blown open-air museum, an ode to art, history, culture and - typically Milanese - sometimes also ostentation. Having found their final resting place on Cimiterio Monumentale many of the Milanese elite (past and present) celebrate themselves in grand style with monuments commissioned for well-known artists and designers like Pietro Cascella, Giò Ponti and many more. Walking past the graves takes you on a tour-de-force through Italian art history. Full of stunning architecture, impressive tombs, park-like avenues, little woods, quiet corners and thousands of sculptures, the churchyard is vast, beautiful, one-of-a-kind.
Despite all the displayed human aspiration of leaving a mark, the Milanese Monumental Cemetery is an oasis of peace, contemplation, serenity and tranquility. It is a working cemetery, thus, you will see people taking care of the graves of their loved ones. Located just North of Chinatown and being the second most visited sight in Milan, Monumentale is never crowded, oftentimes I've walked down the aisles without meeting anybody else. Just like meditating. Short & simple: the most beautiful cemetery I've ever seen!
Find your way with 185 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
During the 20th century, it became one of the most important shops in the city, specialising in selling branded clothes, above all famous Italian brands.
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It was built in 334 a.c, in a period when Milan or Mediolanum, the Latin name of the city, was the capital of the Western Roman Empire.
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The first one was made in 1630, in place of the house of Gian Giacomo Mora, who was a barber, and it's still there today on the road that bears his name.
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There are two types of people: those who take Aperol and those who take Campari. But what's the difference? Read to find out...
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This restaurant is one of those which is resisting and still gives the possibility to have delicious traditional pizzas at affordable prices.
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Mitú is a place I would enthusiastically recommend to a friend seeking a charming atmosphere, great cuisine and attentive and knowledgeable staff.
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The Church of Sant'Ambrogio, built this church in the 5th century AD, is an important church because it was built by the patron of the city, Ambrogio.
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One of the most interesting in the city, founded in 1576, it has the same structure as some Roman-Greek circular temples, "tholos" in ancient Greek.
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It was built in the V century around a stone, which beneath it had the relics of four Christian martyrs who were brutally tortured and then killed...
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Alda Merini was one of the most interesting people in the city and was always wandering around Navigli, so anybody could go and meet her in that district.
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Villa Invernizzi is an impressive Milan mansion with its own covey of pink flamingos. They spend their quiet lives in the garden, used to the attention.
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185 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
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