Six Important Cemeteries in Liguria
Flower Riviera, Genoa and surroundings, Portofino and the Tigullio
The stages
Staglieno cemeterySandro Pertini's tomb at Stella San Giovanni
Monumental cemetery of Sanremo
Walter Bonatti's tomb at Porto Venere
Sori cemetery
Monumental cemetery of Lavagna
Staglieno cemetery
The Staglieno Cemetery in Genoa is one of the largest and most beautiful monumental cemeteries in Europe. Like Père-Lachaise in Paris, it hosts the remains of many well-known and lesser-known figures, both Ligurian and non-Ligurian, but all with a connection so strong to our land that they chose to spend eternity here. Among the notable Ligurians are Giuseppe Mazzini, a patriot and key figure of the Italian Risorgimento; Michele Novaro, composer of the music for the Italian national anthem; Gilberto Govi, an actor famous for his performances in Ligurian dialect comedies; Fernanda Pivano, a writer who introduced the Beat Generation to Italy; Edoardo Sanguineti, a poet and proponent of the 'Gruppo ’63'; Fabrizio De André, a singer-songwriter who celebrated Genoa in his songs and revolutionised Italian music; and the great set designer Emanuele Luzzati. Some interesting facts: Constance Lloyd, wife of Oscar Wilde, had a particularly intriguing story and is buried in Genoa. The Staglieno Cemetery is famous worldwide, and many artists and writers have mentioned it in their works, including Friedrich Nietzsche, Guy de Maupassant, Mark Twain, and Evelyn Waugh. More recently, the renowned English new wave/post-punk group Joy Division used an image of the Appiani family tomb for the cover of their 1980 album Closer.
Sandro Pertini's tomb at Stella San Giovanni
Still deeply beloved today, more than thirty years after his passing, Sandro Pertini, the seventh President of the Italian Republic from 1978 to 1985, is remembered as a key figure of the Resistance, the reconstruction of Italy after the fall of the Fascist regime, and the Constituent Assembly that shaped the Italian Constitution. He is buried in his hometown, Stella San Giovanni, in the province of Savona.
Monumental cemetery of Sanremo
Thanks to its extraordinary location by the sea, near the Ponente Ligure Cycle Path, and the remarkable works of art it contains, this cemetery is a true piece of the history of Sanremo and the Ponente Ligure. Established in 1838, it served as the city’s cemetery until 1949. The cemetery hosts the remains of Sanremo residents who played significant roles in the city’s history, as well as many foreigners who fell in love with the City of Flowers. Notable figures buried here include the English writer, poet, and illustrator Edward Lear; Lucy Madox Brown Rossetti, a model, painter, and muse of the Pre-Raphaelites; the anatomist A.H. Hassall; Lady Caroline Giffard Phillipson, a lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria; and Russian nobility and aristocrats such as Prince Urosov and Princesses Gegalova and Obolenskaya. One of the most remarkable monuments is the tomb of siblings Edward and Sophie Johnson, depicted in an eternal embrace, a masterpiece by the Sanremo sculptor Filippo Ghersi.
Walter Bonatti's tomb at Porto Venere
The Porto Venere Cemetery, located near the extraordinary Church of San Pietro and offering breathtaking views of the Apuan Alps, is truly a mystical place. It is here that Walter Bonatti, the great mountaineer and explorer, chose to rest. Bonatti, a key figure in the 1954 Italian expedition to K2, found the rugged and heroic beauty of the surrounding landscape, a perfect reflection of his life’s exploits. The cemetery is framed by the dramatic rock walls of the Muzzerone cliffs and faces the Palmaria Island, providing an ideal backdrop for Bonatti’s adventurous spirit. Born in Bergamo in 1930, Bonatti passed away in Rome in 2011.
Sori cemetery
Fantozzi has gone to Heaven, but perhaps not everyone knows that Paolo Villaggio, the brilliant actor who created and portrayed him, is buried in Sori. Villaggio passed away in Rome on 3 July 2017 at the age of 84 and chose the beautiful Sori Cemetery, overlooking the sea, as his final resting place.
Monumental cemetery of Lavagna
A true open-air museum, the Lavagna Cemetery is second only to Genoa’s Staglieno Cemetery in Liguria for its wealth of artistic works. Situated on a hill facing the sea, it was inaugurated in 1810 and follows the contours of the hill, featuring magnificent marble monumental tombs, many crafted by sculptors from the renowned Repetto workshop. In the “new” section, the style transitions to Art Nouveau and Art Deco, showcasing art that symbolises movement and the passage from death to the afterlife. The designs include processions of maidens, references to the Divine Comedy, and other evocative themes. Notable sculptors who contributed to this section include Ersanilli, Brizzolara, Zucchi, Sanguineti, and Dallorso.
