The Monumental Cemetery and the city of Milano: a place for the arts and for celebrating civic identity The paper will examine the Monumental Cemetery of Milan (opened in 1867) focusing on the period which goes from the preliminary plans to the last decades of the nineteenth century. The assessment is that the city and the cemetery have always been closely bound by a thick web of connections relating to ideological issues and administrative guidelines, to artistic grounds and urban planning schemes, to cultural and symbolic meanings. All of these, in different ways, aiming at building up a civic identity based on the exploitation of positive memory values. In this cultural scenario, that has affected many Italian cities and contexts of the same period, the Monumental Cemetery of Milano can be considered a case study, being a place of the utmost creativity for works of art interpreting the various significances of remembrance, both from a public and private perspective. The cemetery has consequently worked as an extraordinary “ground” for inventing and applying architectural design and sculptural concepts, stylistic and symbolic representations in close relationship with the city historical references, ideological hints and municipal issues. The institution of the Famedio is a clear symptom of this mutual exchange, being a place where the city of Milan celebrates its history, credits, artistic and patriotic glories within the precinct of the cemetery.

The Monumental Cemetery of Milan. A Place for the Arts and for Celebrating Civic Identity

SELVAFOLTA, ORNELLA
2007-01-01

Abstract

The Monumental Cemetery and the city of Milano: a place for the arts and for celebrating civic identity The paper will examine the Monumental Cemetery of Milan (opened in 1867) focusing on the period which goes from the preliminary plans to the last decades of the nineteenth century. The assessment is that the city and the cemetery have always been closely bound by a thick web of connections relating to ideological issues and administrative guidelines, to artistic grounds and urban planning schemes, to cultural and symbolic meanings. All of these, in different ways, aiming at building up a civic identity based on the exploitation of positive memory values. In this cultural scenario, that has affected many Italian cities and contexts of the same period, the Monumental Cemetery of Milano can be considered a case study, being a place of the utmost creativity for works of art interpreting the various significances of remembrance, both from a public and private perspective. The cemetery has consequently worked as an extraordinary “ground” for inventing and applying architectural design and sculptural concepts, stylistic and symbolic representations in close relationship with the city historical references, ideological hints and municipal issues. The institution of the Famedio is a clear symptom of this mutual exchange, being a place where the city of Milan celebrates its history, credits, artistic and patriotic glories within the precinct of the cemetery.
2007
9783795419462
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11311/241254
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