by Maria
Located in Piazza Donatello, the English Cemetery immediately strikes visitors with its elliptical shape, almost like an island of peace in the heart of the city. Founded in the mid-19th century, it was mainly intended for Protestant foreigners, especially the Anglo-Saxon community living in Florence. Among the richly decorated tombstones are the names of writers, intellectuals, and romantic travelers, including Elizabeth Barrett Browning, one of the most beloved poets in English literature. Walking through its paths means stepping into a suspended atmosphere, surrounded by symbolic sculptures, poetic epitaphs, and cypress trees shading the lanes.
At the foot of the Romanesque basilica of San Miniato al Monte -one of the most stunning panoramic viewpoints of Florence - lies another fascinating site: the Cemetery of Le Porte Sante. Inaugurated in 1848, it hosts family chapels, monumental tombs, and countless sculptures reflecting the religious devotion and artistic sensibility of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Here rest celebrated figures such as Carlo Lorenzini, better known as Collodi, the author of Pinocchio; writer Vasco Pratolini; essayist Giovanni Papini; fashion designers Roberto Cavalli and Enrico Coveri; filmmaker Franco Zeffirelli; the Alinari brothers (pioneers of photography); actor Francesco Nuti; and politician Giovanni Spadolini.
With its Liberty-style architecture, marble decorations, and breathtaking views, this cemetery is among the most spectacular in Italy.
The Cemetery of Gli Allori, located on Via Senese and founded in 1877 as the successor to the English Cemetery, is still active today and filled with funerary art. It houses the tombs of important 20th-century intellectuals and artists, including journalist and writer Oriana Fallaci.
Visiting Florence’s monumental cemeteries is not merely a melancholic walk but a way to engage with an artistic and human heritage of great value. These places tell the intertwined stories of lives connected to the city, bear witness to Florence’s cosmopolitan spirit in the 19th century, and offer travelers moments of reflection and silent beauty.
