The creation of the Monumental Cemetery of Milan was not solely the result of the persistent issue of insufficient burial space. It was also a direct consequence of the Napoleonic ordinance known as the “Edict of Saint-Cloud,” which, enacted in France in 1804 and extended to Italian territories two years later, permanently banned burials within churches and city walls. The decree mandated that the deceased, regardless of social status or origin, be interred in designated, enclosed areas outside inhabited centers, maintained under the responsibility of public administrations. Cemeteries were thus removed from religious jurisdiction and integrated into civic governance, becoming part of a broader rethinking of the city and its environment. Accordingly, the Municipality of Milan had to open itself to the project not only from a socio-cultural perspective but also through technical, architectural, and artistic engagement. This would lead to the construction of a cemetery capable of monumentalizing burial grounds and chapels through an architectural language that celebrated the grandeur of the whole, while also respecting a diversity of tastes, artistic choices, and religious beliefs. The meticulous attention to detail and the effectiveness of the functional solutions made it a model for funerary architecture and one of the most esteemed works of Italian eclecticism. Its history, however, was fraught with challenges, including numerous artistic debates about which style to adopt. Yet there was a clear, shared awareness of the desire to establish a “new culture of memory” that did not deny individuals the right to express grief through diverse funerary monuments. This vision ultimately opened all cemetery spaces to art. Thanks to the genius of Carlo Maciachini, the Monumental Cemetery succeeded in blending architecture and nature, becoming a defining presence in the urban landscape, overturning the traditional concept of the cemetery as a distant, hidden place, removed from view behind walls enclosing its somber function. The cemetery is traversed lengthwise by a central avenue that divides it into two symmetrical halves. Aligned along this axis from the entrance are: the Famedio (Hall of Fame), the Ossuary at the center, followed by the Necropolis, and culminating in the Crematory Temple. The Crematory Temple is undoubtedly among the most evocative structures, lending distinction to the entire cemetery. Opened in 1876, it is located at the far end of the Monumental Cemetery, marking the terminus of the central axis. Designed by Carlo Maciachini with technical collaboration from engineer Celeste Clericetti (a professor at the Polytechnic University of Milan), it is the only cemetery structure employing classical forms. It features a pronaos in antis, Doric columns, and interior decorations with Pompeian elements, evoking the dignity and auctoritas of ancient purification rituals. Milan thus became the first European city to introduce a cremation facility within a public cemetery, earning international recognition as a technically advanced, hygienically efficient model, and a testament to forward-thinking and modern public administration. The initial aim of this work is to explore the architectural history of the building and its contextual integration, not only within the cemetery’s walls but also in relation to the city of Milan. Many noteworthy individuals contributed significantly to the realization of this great and innovative architectural project, which, along with the many other remarkable structures within the cemetery, has led to its well deserved reputation as an “open air museum” and a historic, cultural, and artistic treasure for the city and the people of Milan.
La realizzazione del Cimitero Monumentale di Milano non è da ricercarsi solamente nella necessità di risolvere il problema costante della penuria di spazi atti alle sepolture ma è anche diretta conseguenza dell’ordinanza napoleonica, nota come “Editto di Saint-Cloud” che, nel 1804 in Francia e due anni dopo nei territori italiani sottoposti, aveva definitivamente vietato le inumazioni nelle chiese ed intra moenia, stabilendo che i defunti, senza distinzione di censo o di nascita, dovessero essere sepolti in appositi spazi recintati, fuori dall’abitato e allestiti per cura delle amministrazioni pubbliche. I cimiteri, quindi, vengono affrancati dal dominio religioso rientrando nella pratica di governo e nell’ambito di una nuova riflessione sulla città e sull’ambiente. Infatti, il Comune di Milano dovette aprire il suo territorio al progetto non solo dal punto di vista socio-culturale ma anche tecnico, architettonico e artistico e ciò porterà alla costruzione di un cimitero in grado di rendere monumentale l’insieme delle sepolture e delle cappelle attraverso un linguaggio architettonico che esaltò la grandiosità dell’insieme e che soprattutto rispettò le diversità del gusto, delle scelte artistiche e anche del credo religioso. La cura per il dettaglio e l’efficacia delle soluzioni funzionali lo hanno reso un modello per l’architettura funeraria oltre che una delle più apprezzate opere dell’eclettismo italiano. Le sue vicende storiche furono assai travagliate, diverse furono le polemiche artistiche sullo stile da adottare, tuttavia si era ben coscienti di voler realizzare una “nuova cultura della memoria” che non negasse il diritto dei singoli ad esprimere il proprio dolore anche attraverso la diversità dei monumenti funebri e ciò porterà all’apertura di tutti gli spazi cimiteriali all’arte. Sarà grazie al genio di Maciachini che il Monumentale riuscirà a coniugare architettura e natura divenendo presenza qualificante della scena urbana che ribalta completamente il senso di luogo remoto, rimosso alla vista, nascosto dietro i muri che ne racchiudono il triste ufficio. Il Cimitero è percorso, in tutta la sua lunghezza, da un viale centrale che lo suddivide in due parti simmetriche e nel quale si posizionano in asse dall’ingresso il Famedio, l’edificio dell’Ossario al centro, seguito dalla Necropoli e si conclude nel Tempio Crematorio. Il Tempio Crematorio è sicuramente tra gli edifici più suggestivi che rendono gloria all’intero Cimitero. Aperto nel 1876, si situa sul fondo del Cimitero Monumentale al termine dell’asse centrale che ne percorre l’intera lunghezza. Disegnato da Carlo Maciachini, con l’apporto tecnico dell’ingegnere Celeste Clericetti (professore al Politecnico di Milano), è l’unico edificio cimiteriale che ricorre al classico, presentando un pronao in antis, colonne doriche, decorazione interna con tratti pompeiani: secondo uno stile riferito alla dignità e all’auctoritas degli antichi rituali di purificazione. Milano, dunque, sarà la prima città europea a introdurre l’impianto crematorio in un cimitero pubblico, acquisendo perciò notorietà internazionale sia come modello tecnicamente avanzato e igienicamente efficiente, sia come modello di lungimirante e moderna amministrazione. Obiettivo iniziale del presente lavoro sarà quello di descrivere la storia dell’architettura dell’edificio ed il suo inserimento nel contesto, non solo entro le mura del cimitero ma anche nella città di Milano. Numerosi sono stati i personaggi degni di citazione, il cui apporto è stato significativo per la nascita di questa grande e innovativa opera architettonica della città che, assieme alle numerose altre presenti nel cimitero, hanno contribuito a renderlo quello che oggi è definito, con giusta causa, un “museo a cielo aperto”, un patrimonio storico, culturale e artistico della città e dei cittadini di Milano.
Conservazione, riuso e valorizzazione del Tempio Crematorio del Cimitero Monumentale di Milano
Mauro, Antonio
2024/2025
Abstract
The creation of the Monumental Cemetery of Milan was not solely the result of the persistent issue of insufficient burial space. It was also a direct consequence of the Napoleonic ordinance known as the “Edict of Saint-Cloud,” which, enacted in France in 1804 and extended to Italian territories two years later, permanently banned burials within churches and city walls. The decree mandated that the deceased, regardless of social status or origin, be interred in designated, enclosed areas outside inhabited centers, maintained under the responsibility of public administrations. Cemeteries were thus removed from religious jurisdiction and integrated into civic governance, becoming part of a broader rethinking of the city and its environment. Accordingly, the Municipality of Milan had to open itself to the project not only from a socio-cultural perspective but also through technical, architectural, and artistic engagement. This would lead to the construction of a cemetery capable of monumentalizing burial grounds and chapels through an architectural language that celebrated the grandeur of the whole, while also respecting a diversity of tastes, artistic choices, and religious beliefs. The meticulous attention to detail and the effectiveness of the functional solutions made it a model for funerary architecture and one of the most esteemed works of Italian eclecticism. Its history, however, was fraught with challenges, including numerous artistic debates about which style to adopt. Yet there was a clear, shared awareness of the desire to establish a “new culture of memory” that did not deny individuals the right to express grief through diverse funerary monuments. This vision ultimately opened all cemetery spaces to art. Thanks to the genius of Carlo Maciachini, the Monumental Cemetery succeeded in blending architecture and nature, becoming a defining presence in the urban landscape, overturning the traditional concept of the cemetery as a distant, hidden place, removed from view behind walls enclosing its somber function. The cemetery is traversed lengthwise by a central avenue that divides it into two symmetrical halves. Aligned along this axis from the entrance are: the Famedio (Hall of Fame), the Ossuary at the center, followed by the Necropolis, and culminating in the Crematory Temple. The Crematory Temple is undoubtedly among the most evocative structures, lending distinction to the entire cemetery. Opened in 1876, it is located at the far end of the Monumental Cemetery, marking the terminus of the central axis. Designed by Carlo Maciachini with technical collaboration from engineer Celeste Clericetti (a professor at the Polytechnic University of Milan), it is the only cemetery structure employing classical forms. It features a pronaos in antis, Doric columns, and interior decorations with Pompeian elements, evoking the dignity and auctoritas of ancient purification rituals. Milan thus became the first European city to introduce a cremation facility within a public cemetery, earning international recognition as a technically advanced, hygienically efficient model, and a testament to forward-thinking and modern public administration. The initial aim of this work is to explore the architectural history of the building and its contextual integration, not only within the cemetery’s walls but also in relation to the city of Milan. Many noteworthy individuals contributed significantly to the realization of this great and innovative architectural project, which, along with the many other remarkable structures within the cemetery, has led to its well deserved reputation as an “open air museum” and a historic, cultural, and artistic treasure for the city and the people of Milan.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/242557