The Dark side of Rome: the cemeteries

Rome Cemetery

For the ones who have already been in Rome and have seen the main attractions,
or for the ones who have never visited Rome yet, but prefer the real Rome, its popular areas and its darker side, instead of the typical touristic tours, we reccomend a Cemeteries Tour. In Rome you can count 11 council cemeteries, with a total territorial extension of over 250 hectares. The most famous and the biggest is the Verano cemetery, where in general lie common people, but also many italian writers, actors and politicians. Plus you can find the non-catholic cemetery, where lie foreigners who used to live in Rome.

the Verano is a council and monumental cemetery located in the Tiburtino district. It is a sort of out-door museum where are buried also jewishes, catholics and First World War victims. For this reason Rome Council plans free thematic tours, to the graveyards of the protagonist of different eras, or to the tombs of famous actors, dead celebrities, etc.

walking throught the roman cemetery

Address
Piazzale del Verano, 1
Opening times
From October to March 7.30 a.m. – 18.00 p.m.
From April to September 7.30 a.m. – 19.00 p.m.
Attention: entrance permitted until 1 hour before the closing time.

Non-catholic cemetery (in Testaccio district), also called the Protestant Cemetery, is considered one of the most suggestive and famous cemeteries in the world. It is a poetics and melancholy site where, in the shadows of the Pyramid of Cestius,
are buried people who used to live in Rome. Indeed, according to the Pontifician legislation, non-catholic people could not be buried in a church or in consacrated ground. So, since 1738 almost 4000 famous and not famous persons were buried in this cemetery, especially english and german persons, but also americans, norvegians, russians and greeks, among which: the english writers Shelley, Keats and many more.

excursion at the roman cemetry

Address
Via Caio Cestio, 6
Opening times
Monday – Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. (last entrance at 4:30 p.m.)
Sunday and holidays from 9.00 a.m. to 01.00 p.m. (last entrance at 12.30 p.m.)  
Groups visits
For groups visits it is compulsory to booking and sending an e-mail at least 1 week before the visit, communicating the name of the guide of the group, the extimated number of visitors, idiom, date and arrival time.