Certosa di Bologna

The Certosa di Bologna lies at Via della Certosa 18, west of the historic centre of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, on the site of a Carthusian monastery founded in 1334. After the suppression of religious houses under Napoleonic rule, the complex was turned into the city's monumental cemetery in 1801, in response to French rules that required burials outside city walls and in public ground. The old monastery buildings, cloisters and the church of San Girolamo were adapted, and new galleries, halls and open fields were added through the 19th century. The result is a large complex of porticoes, cloisters and chapels, laid out around galleries linking the burial areas, and decorated with sculpture by Bolognese artists such as Carlo Monari and others working in neoclassical, romantic and Liberty styles. Many monuments commemorate famous Bolognese figures, including the composer Ottorino Respighi, the painter Giorgio Morandi and the poet Giosue Carducci, among others. The Certosa also includes a Jewish section and a Protestant area, as well as an area for foreign burials. The cemetery houses the Ossario dei Partigiani, a memorial ossuary commemorating those who died in the Resistance. The municipal heritage service has produced guided visits, which run on Saturdays and combine art history with local stories, and the site is documented in the Storia e Memoria di Bologna project. Conservation work is ongoing, since many marble monuments are exposed to weather, and restoration of statues and halls continues. Visitors can walk in freely during daylight hours, but the cemetery is still in use, so quiet, respectful behaviour is expected. The complex is large and winter closing times vary, so visitors should check at the gate. Guided visits cost EUR 10, or EUR 8 with the Card Cultura, and reservations are advised.