Welcome to Hollywood Graveyard, where we set
out to remember and celebrate the lives of those who lived to entertain us, by visiting their
final resting places. Today we’re exploring cemeteries around Italy, where we’ll find
such stars as Anna Magnani, Sergio Leone, Raphael, Percy Shelley, and
many more. Join us, won’t you?
We’ve seen Switzerland, we’ve toured
Paris, and now it’s time to end our exploration of famous graves across Europe
in beautiful Italia. Italy, il bel paese, birthplace of the Renaissance, pizza, and
this guy, who if you’ve followed our channel, you’ll know is Giuseppe Vasapolli, composer
of the Hollywood Graveyard soundtrack. As Giuseppe lives in Italy, this is
actually the first time he has joined me for the filming of Hollywood Graveyard since
we began experimenting with videos back in 2016. So, Giuseppe, what did you think of the
process of filming Hollywood Graveyard?
Too much B-roll.
Nah, one can never have too much B-roll, especially in a land as beautiful as Italy. This
was a special excursion for me as well, since my ancestors were from Italy. The passion for
the arts and music runs deep here in Italy—it’s in its very bones, their language like a
spoken song. Here we’ll find everyone from renaissance masters that would be the namesake
of ninja turtles centuries later, to modern-day legends of the screen, radio, and stage. We’ll be
covering much of Italy, from Sicily in the south, all the way up to Milan in the north, so we’ll be
breaking up our tour of Italy into two parts.
We’ll begin our tour on the island where Giuseppe
was born, the ball being kicked by the boot that is the mainland peninsula, Sicily. Winding
countryside roads take us into the heart of the island of Sicily, which felt about as far
away from Hollywood as one could possibly get. This quaint little Sicilian
town is called Polizzi Generosa. What a charming little town it was, and equally
charming was the cemetery here at Polizzi Generosa. So much history here, and you just
don’t see cemeteries like this in the states. Such are the treasures one discovers
when going well off the beaten path. What brings us here to one of the most remote
cemeteries we’ve ever visited? A character actor who you will instantly recognize.
Here, resting in the Italian countryside, we find Vincent Schiavelli. If you don’t know his
name, you definitely know his face. Vincent was everywhere from the 70s to the 2000s. He played
Fredrickson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Mr Vargas in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, The Organ
Grinder in Batman Returns, Dr. Kaufman in Tomorrow Never Dies, and the subway ghost in Ghost.
“Hey.”
“Get off my train!”
“No.”
“Get off!”
And on television he made memorable appearances
in shows like the X-Files, and Taxi. Schiavelli also wrote a number of books, including a book
of recipes from right here in Polizzi Generosa, which is where his grandfather was from,
and where he would spend his final years. Vincent Schiavelli passed
away from cancer at age 57. When a great artist lives inside a great
man, his soul is destined to remain eternal. True of Vince, and so many we’ve
visited in the past, and will yet visit.
We’re in Palermo now. This is Cimitero dei
Cappuccini. It is adjacent to the world famous Cappuccini Catacombs of Palermo, a notorious
destination for lovers of all things macabre, featuring hundreds of mummies on display,
including one known as the Sleeping Beauty, Rosalia Lombardo. Unfortunately for us,
the catacombs were closed due to covid, so we were unable to visit during our time there.
Perhaps next time. Here in the adjacent cemetery, we find a famous Italian writer. Giuseppe Tomasi
di Lampedusa was the last Prince of Lampedusa. He is most famous for his only novel, Il Gattopardo,
The Leopard, published posthumously in 1958. The book chronicles the changes in
Sicilian life during Italian unification. It would go on to become one of the
best-selling and most important novels in Italian literature. In 1963 it would be
made into a film starring Burt Lancaster. Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa died from
lung cancer at the age of 60.
Time to say goodbye to the beautiful Island of Sicily,
and hop a boat for the mainland of Italy.
The sun set on Sicily, and rose on Napoli, or
Naples, as we know it in English. Naples is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the
world, resting in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. It’s been one of the key cultural and artistic
centers throughout the history of this region, and perhaps most famously, is
where Italian pizza was invented.
Our first stop here, after a nice breakfast of
café and sfogliatella of course, is Cimitero di Santa Maria del Pianto, which overlooks the city
of Naples and Mount Vesuvius off in the distance, high on a hill. The history of this cemetery dates
back to 1656 when the plague ravaged the region. To accommodate the many burials, far outside the
city, the dead were laid to rest in a cave nearby. To commemorate them, a church was built close to
the site, Santa Maria del Pianto. In 1865 this cemetery was opened in the grounds surrounding
the church of Santa Maria del Pianto.
There are a number of legendary Neapolitan
stars here. Among them is Antonio de Curtis, better known by the mononym, Toto. He is one of
the most popular film stars in Italian history. Known as the prince of laugher, he’s best known
for his work in comedy, many of his most popular films featuring Toto as a titular character, like
Toto al Giro d’Italia and Toto a Colori. And the 1966 film The Hawks and the Sparrows earned
him numerous awards, including a Golden Globe. Toto was also a lyricist and poet, one of
his poems, A Livella, inscribed here on the exterior of his tomb. It touches on death as
a source of humor and as the great equalizer. And his song “Malafemmina” has become a classic of
Neapolitan music, and was an inspiration for his popular film, Toto, Peppino, e la Malafemmina.
[music]
The beloved Toto died in 1967 at age 69
after suffering a series of heart attacks. Three funerals were held for Toto, one
in Rome, and two here in Naples.
Along the next street down we find actor Nino
Taranto. His very first film role in 1924 was in a movie ironically titled, See Naples and then die.
He rose to popularity in the 50s and 60s, perhaps most notably in the film Anni Facili, and is also
remembered as the sometimes sidekick of Toto. Nino Taranto passed away at age 78 in 1986.
When we arrived at the tomb of our next star,
we were bummed to see that it was covered in scaffolding and a tarp for repairs. So we’ll have
to use Hollywood magic to see what it looks like without the scaffolding… Hollywood magic in this
context being a friend with a camera who came back after restorations were finished. Before
there was Pavarotti, there was Enrico Caruso. In the early 20th century he was the preeminent
operatic tenor in the world, performing in high demand throughout Europe and America, including
close to 900 performances at the New York Metropolitan Opera. And in the 19-teens he would
be among the very first operatic singers to be commercially recorded. These phonograph recordings
would help make him an international star. In his late 40s Caruso began suffering from a
series of painful ailments. His health declined rapidly, and he died in 1921 at the age of
48, his death attributed to peritonitis. His funeral was attended by thousands, his preserved
body placed in a glass sarcophagus that for the next 8 years mourners could view. In 1929 his
remains were finally sealed in this tomb.
That’ll do it for Santa Maria del
Pianto, moving on now to our next Neapolitan cemetery: Cimitero di San Giorgio. Let’s head to the mausoleum in the
southeast corner of the cemetery. Here we find the comedian of feelings, Massimo
Troisi. He was an actor, writer, and director, considered among the most important in
Italian cinema. He’s remembered for films like I’m Starting from Three, and what would
be his last and best-known film, Il Postino… the Postman. Not only did he star in Il
Postino, he also co-wrote and co-directed it.
He was nominated for two Oscars for
the film, for acting and writing. Sadly, these would be posthumous. Working
through a heart condition to finish Il Postino, he died from a heart attack 12 hours after the
cameras stopped rolling. Massimo was just 41. He’s entombed here with his parents.
In addition to his actual crypt, there’s a memorial monument to Troisi
out on the grounds of the cemetery. It includes a walking path with
several of his films listed.
Let’s continue to make our way up
the peninsula to our next cemetery.
One of the real treats of this grave
hunting road trip through Italy was the unexpected nature of each cemetery we
visited. There was little photographic documentation of many of these sites, so
we had no idea what to expect, and as such we were often pleasantly surprised. Such was the
case with this little gem of a cemetery, with a magnificent view of Mediterranean Sea off in the
distance. This is Cimitero di San Felice Circeo, on the western coast of Italy between
Naples and Rome. As with our last cemetery it’s situated high on a hill, and was just
such so incredibly unique and photogenic.
A few stars to find here. Just in from
the gate is Alberto Lupo. He was an actor, best known for roles in historical action and
adventure films, like The Lion of Thebes, and perhaps most notably, alongside Charlton Heston
and Rex Harrison in The Agony and the Ecstasy. He was just 59 when he died.
Resting alongside Alberto is his wife, Lyla Rocco. She was an actress who could be seen
in a few dozen productions in the 50s and 60s. Among her memorable films are Journey
to Italy, One Step to Eternity, and The Playgirls and the Vampire. She retired
from acting in 1964, living to be 81.
Let’s head to the top of the stairs, and take a
left to one of the rooms adjacent to the chapel. Herein we find the tomb of Anna Magnani. She was
an actress who rose to popularity in the 40s, in films like Roberto Rossellini’s Rome, Open
City. Her style was described as passionate, fiery, and volcanic. Today she’s best
remembered for her role as Serafina delle Rose in 1955s The Rose Tattoo. Tennessee Williams wrote
the role of Serafina with Anna in mind. The role would earn her the Oscar for best actress, making
Anna the first Italian actress to win an Oscar.
“Stay with me tonight, don’t go. Don’t
go, darling. I don’t understand these strange night runs that you make.”
She was also nominated for Wild is the Wind. Anna Magnani died from cancer at age 65, and
was temporarily entombed in the family mausoleum of Roberto Rossellini, then
later laid to rest here.
We could have spent hours at this magnificent
little cemetery, but we have much of Italy to explore, so it’s time to move on. We continue to
make our way north toward the capital of Italy, Rome. We’ve got two stops to make outside
the city before we head into Rome. We’re now in Pratica di Mare, and Cimitero di Pratica
di Mare. Here in the tiny, walled-off cemetery, is the lion of Italian cinema, Sergio Leone. He’s
considered one of the most influential filmmakers, not just of Italian cinema, but of all time. He
is credited as the originator of the Spaghetti Western, so named as they were westerns produced
in Italy. His filmmaking style, including long shots, extreme closeups, and use of music, would
establish the oft-imitated hallmarks of the genre. Among his best-known films are The Good, The
Bad, and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in America, and one of my favorite films of all
time, Once Upon a Time in the West. Sergio Leone would be a major influence
on later generations of filmmakers, including Quentin Tarantino. Leone
died from a heart attack at age 60. His epitaph alludes to his famous film titles.
“C'era una volta, c'è, ci sarà sempre.” Once upon a time there was, there is,
and there always will be.
Just outside the city of Rome is Cimitero
Laurentino. It’s one of the newer cemeteries we’ll find here in Italy, founded in 2002.
Here we find a frequent collaborator of Sergio Leone. He was the John Williams to Leone’s Stephen
Spielberg. Here lies Ennio Morricone, one of the greatest film composers of all time. When you
think of spaghetti western music, the electric guitars, harmonicas, whistlers, shakers, and other
rustic sounds that deviate from the Copeland-esque orchestral music of American westerns, you’re
thinking of the music of Ennio Morricone. His themes including for The Good, The Bad,
and the Ugly, are some of the most recognized in movie history.
[music]
He wrote the music for all but
one of Sergio Leone’s films. But he’s also known for soaring, lyrical,
and orchestral scores, like Cinema Paradiso. Quentin Tarantino was a long-time admirer of
Morricone, and finally got the chance to work with him, hiring him to score The Hateful Eight
in 2015. This would earn Morricone the Oscar for best music. He had over 500 credits to his
name, making him one of the most prolific composers of all time. Ennio Morricone
died in 2020 at the age of 91.
Let’s head now into the historic city of
Rome, passing through the ancient walls, beyond which we find one-of-a-kind sights like
Roman ruins, the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, ornately painted
ceilings in centuries-old cathedrals, and this random seagull sitting
on an ancient pillar.
The king of cemeteries here
in Rome is Campo Verano. It’s hard to sum up the experience of
visiting a cemetery like Campo Verano. Majestic is a word that comes to mind,
if you’re not rendered speechless. This area has been a burial site for at least
2000 years, dating back to ancient catacombs. The current cemetery was founded in the early
19th century, officially consecrated in 1835. With magnificent monuments on every corner,
it has become an open-air museum to the dead. There are numerous stars and notable historical
figures here. Way more than we could ever cover in a day, but let’s see who we can get to.
But before we do, some food for thought from the dead here in Campo Verano: Quello
che siete, fummo. Quello che siamo, sarete. That which you are, we once were.
That which we are, you will be.
If we take the first left after the entrance,
at the end we find the statue of a man in repose. This is Goffredo Mameli. He
was a 19th century writer, best remembered today for penning the lyrics of “Il Canto
degli Italiani,” Italy’s national anthem, written in 1847 when Mameli was just 20. He died
at just 21 in battle during the siege of Rome in 1849. He was originally interred here, but nearly
a century later moved to the Mausoleum Ossario del Gianicolo. That’s Romulus and Remus up there,
mythological symbols of the founding of Rome, part of this monument to Mameli
that is now a cenotaph.
Continuing straight in on the path from the main
entrance is the Quadriportico, a walled courtyard area. In the southeast corner of the colonnade
we find Suso Checchi d’Amico. She was one of the notable screenwriters of Italian cinema in
the 20th century, with over 100 films to her credit. She’s perhaps best remembered for films
like The Taming of the Shrew, Bicycle Thieves, and Casanova ’70, which earned her an Oscar
nomination. Suso lived to the age of 96.
Hopping over to the outside of the Quadriportico,
on the southeast side, we find the grave of Il Mattatore, Vittorio Gassman, one of
the greats of Italian stage and screen. He played Stanley Kowalski in the Italian
stage production of A Streetcar Named Desire, as well as Shakespearean roles like Othello. On
the big screen he starred in the original version of Scent of a Woman, alongside Elizabeth Taylor
in Rhapsody, and in the film Sleepers. He was also the Italian dubbed voice of Mufasa in the Lion
King. Vittorio Gassman was the kind of actor who could read the yellow pages and make them sound
dramatic. He died from a heart attack at age 77.
Let’s head south to the zona ampliamento.
Here lies Massimo Girotti. The handsome, chiseled leading man is known for
roles of action heroes and lovers in the 40s through the 60s, in films like Desire,
Obsession, and Sins of Rome, as Spartacus. He can also be seen in Bertolucci’s Last Tango in
Paris. He continued acting right up until the end, passing away from a heart attack at age 84.
Just a few spaces away is a man who directed Girotti in a number of films, Vittorio de
Sica. He’s considered among the greats of Italian directors. Among his best-known
films are Bicycle Thieves, Umberto D, and The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, which won
the Oscar for best foreign language film in 1972. Vittorio was also an actor, and in 1957 would
become the first Italian actor nominated for an Oscar, for his role in A Farewell to
Arms. He died from lung cancer at age 73.
In the next section southwest we find the grand
tomb of Aldo Fabrizi. He was a beloved comedic actor and writer here in Italy. He started
performing in music halls and on variety shows before becoming a popular figure on screen. His
best-known role is that of the brave priest in Rossellini’s Rome, Open City, in 1945. He’s also
remembered for often partnering up on screen with Toto, like in the film Cops and Robbers, which he
also co-wrote. Aldo Fabrizi lived to be 84.
Nearby is the grave of Sergio Corbucci. As
a director he’s known as one of the legends of the Spaghetti Western genre, right up there
with Sergio Leone. Corbucci’s films were known for being dark and particularly brutal, like The
Great Silence, and his best-known film, Django. As the popularity of the westerns waned, Corbucci found later success directing comedies,
but will always be remembered for his westerns. Django, which was released in 1966, was
the inspiration for Django Unchained in 2012. Django was co-written with his
brother, Bruno, who also rests here.
We’re in the very southwest corner of the cemetery
now. Heading into this courtyard we find the grave of Nino Manfredi. He appeared in some of the
most popular Italian comedies of the 60s and 70s. His best-known film is Per Grazie Ricevuta,
Between Miracles, which he also directed. It won him the Palm d’Or and best first film
award at the Cannes Film Festival. He also found success on television, playing Geppetto in The
Adventures of Pinocchio. Nino lived to be 83.
Not far away in this same courtyard is Marcello
Mastroianni, one of Italy’s biggest stars in his day, who would become an international star. Among
his best-known films are La Dolce Vita, and 8 ½. He was nominated for 3 Oscars in his career,
including for the 1963 film, Divorce Italian Style, which was the first time a male actor
was nominated for a foreign language film. Marcello Mastroianni died
from cancer at age 72.
Circling back northeast, in riquadro 145, we find
Alberto Sordi, another of Italy’s popular comedic stars. He began his career dubbing Oliver Hardy’s
voice for the Italian Laurel and Hardy films. Among his most beloved roles are as a peace-loving
fascist officer in The Best of Enemies, and as an Italian laborer in To Bed or Not to
Bed. Alberto won 7 David di Donatello awards throughout his career, Italy’s equivalent of the
Oscar. Alberto Sordi died from complications of lung cancer and pneumonia at the age of 82.
Continuing east we reach a series of buildings that, if you didn’t know we were in a cemetery,
you might mistake for apartment complexes. Heading into one of these apartment complexes
for the dead, we find the crypt of Rino Gaetano. He was a singer and songwriter who rose to
popularity in the 1970s, with hits like “Gianna”, and “Ma il Cielo e’ sempre piu blu.” Rino’s promising career was cut tragically
short in 1981 when he was severely injured in a car accident. He was taken to the hospital in a
coma, but there were no cranial trauma specialists there, nor could any be found for assistance
from nearby hospitals, so by the next morning, Rino was dead. This failure of the hospitals
caused significant controversy in Rino’s death. He was just 30. Is Rino loved and missed by
his many fans? The writing is on the wall, though it should probably be
in this book here instead.
Heading across the street we
stumbled onto an unexpected find, the uniqueness of this tombstone catching our
eye. We looked him up to discover that Vincenzo Mirigliani here was the head of the Miss
Italia beauty pageant for some 50 years.
Let’s turn our compass now toward the north.
Heading into this mausoleum complex we find the crypt of Ciccio Ingrassia. He was a comedic
actor, remembered as half of comedy duo Franco and Ciccio, with Franco Franchi, sort of
an Italian analogue of Laurel and Hardy. They were popular in the 60s and 70s, appearing in
over 100 films together, like War Italian Style. He can also be seen in Fellini’s Amacord.
Ciccio died from heart failure at age 80.
A little sightseeing before we move on. So many unique sights around every
corner here at Campo Verano.
Let’s make our way northeast to the nuovo reparto,
and into chapel 3. Here we find the crypt of Gabriella Ferri. She was a popular Italian singer
in the 60s, having a hit in the song “Sempre.” She also acted in a handful of productions,
including Remus & Romulus. She died at age 61 after a fall from her balcony.
Along the opposite wall is actress Alida Valli, sometimes just credited as Valli.
She found international fame in films like Hitchcock’s The Paradine Case,
and The Third Man, alongside Orson Welles. And she won the David di Donatello award
for La Caduta degli Angeli Rebelli in 1982. Alida Valli lived to be 84.
Heading now to the northeast corner
of the cemetery, Monte Portonaccio, we find the Vasaturo Amato family room, where Bud
Spencer is entombed. Spencer, whose real name was Carlo Pedersoli, was one of the popular actors
of Spaghetti Westerns and action comedy films of the 60s and 70s, known for his frequent on screen
partnership with Terence Hill. Among the popular films Spencer and Hill appeared in are Ace High,
and as Bambino and Trinity, the Trinity series. Before acting he was a champion swimmer, the first Italian to swim the 100-meters in
under a minute. Bud Spencer lived to be 86.
Also here is Giuseppe Amato, one of the great
producers of Italian cinema. Among the notable films he produced are La Dolce Vita, and Bicycle
Thieves. He died at age 64 from a heart attack.
Just southeast we find the grave of
another legendary Italian film composer, Rino Rota. Like Morricone, Nino Rota is
remembered for having crafted some of the most iconic themes in movie history.
He’s perhaps best remembered today for his music for the Godfather,
including the haunting main theme, and the soaring love theme. Rota won the Oscar for The Godfather Part II. Another timeless classic featuring
the music of Rota is Romeo and Juliet. He scored some 180 productions before passing
away from a coronary thrombosis at age 67.
Circling around toward the west we reach
the section known as Ex Evangelici. Here is the tomb of father and son, Peppino
and Luigi de Filippo. Peppino was a beloved Naples-born funnyman, remembered for appearing
alongside Toto in a number of comedies in the 50s and 60s, like Toto, Peppino e la
malafemmina, and La Banda degli Onesti. He also worked with Fellini, in films like
Boccaccio ’70. Peppino lived to be 76. His son Luigi also became a famous actor, with a notable
stage career in Naples and Rome. He could also be seen in popular Italian comedies, like Lazzarella,
and Love Italian Style. He lived to be 87. On the exterior of the tomb is a poem written by Peppino,
dedicated to his wife Lidia upon her death.
In section Altopiano Pincetto, one of the elevated
sections of the cemetery, we find filmmaker Roberto Rossellini, one of the great writers
and directors of Italian cinema. He was a key figure of the neo-realism movement of the 50s and
60s that would change the face of international cinema, inspiring future filmmakers like Martin
Scorsese. Among his best-known films are Rome, Open City, Germany, Year One, and Paisan, which
earned him an Oscar nomination for best writing. Roberto was married to actress
Ingrid Bergman, and is the father of actress Isabella Rossellini. He died after
suffering a heart attack in 1977 at age 71.
For our last stop here at Campo Verano, we head
to a pathway flanked by niches and crypts called Scaglione Tiburtino. Here we find the crypt of
Ferruccio Amendola. He was a pioneer of Italian voice dubbing. By the 60s he was the go-to man
to dub the Italian voices into non-Italian films, for some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. He dubbed
Al Pacino in the Godfather, Sylvester Stallone in Rocky and Rambo, Doc Brown in Back to the Future,
and Dustin Hoffman’s Captain Hook in Hook, among many others. The famous voice actor died, somewhat
ironically, of throat cancer at age 71.
Our next cemetery is north of the city of
Rome: Cimitero Flaminio. It was established in the 1940s, and at 140 hectares, is the
largest cemetery in Italy by land area.
In zone 12 to the west, in the mausoleum,
we find the crypt of Eduardo Cianelli. He was a character actor in the 30s through the
60s, known for playing gangsters and criminals, in action and horror films of the era. He’s
remembered for films like Strange Cargo, and for playing the Guru in Gunga Din. He also
played the title role in 1940s Mysterious Doctor Satan. Eduardo was also nominated for a Tony for
his role in Broadway’s “The Devil’s Advocate.” He continued performing right up until the
end, passing away at age 81.
Just a few sections north we find Renato
Rascel. As an actor he’s remembered for films like The Overcoat, and The Secret of Santa
Vittoria. But today, his greatest legacy is perhaps his song “Arrivederci Roma,” one of
the most famous Italian songs of all time. It was written as part of the soundtrack
of the film of the same name, which he also starred in. The song has been performed
by legends from Mario Lanza to Bing Crosby. Renato Rascel lived to be 78.
Southwest to section 72, we find someone
who wrote another of Italy’s most famous songs. Here lies Domenico Modugno. He’s best
known today for writing the song, “Nel blu dipinto di blu,” better known as “Volare,” which
not only won him the Grammy for song of the year, but has also become one of the most widely
recorded and performed songs in history. It’s been performed by legends from Dean Martin
to Ella Fitzgerald. Modugno was also an actor, seen in films like Lazzarella. He died
from a heart attack at the age of 66.
Near the middle of the cemetery
is a grand columbarium. Here is the niche of Francesca Bertini, known
as one of the first divas of cinema. Francesca was one of the most successful silent film
actresses, not just in Italy, but worldwide. She was one of the first actresses to develop a
more real and natural approach to screen acting, as opposed to the hyperbolic dramatics
many had brought from the stage. Among her best-known films are Tosca in 1918, and
Assunta Spina, which she also wrote and directed. She made a few talkies before retiring, but was
convinced by Bernardo Bertolucci to make one last appearance on screen, in the 1976 film,
1900. Francesca lived to the age of 93.
For our last stop here at Flaminio
we visit the northernmost mausoleum… oh, hello Padre Pio. Here we find the crypt of
Sora Lella. Her real name was Elena Fabrizi, the sister of Aldo Fabrizi who we visited
earlier. Acting began as a hobby for Sora Lella, but she found surprising success, winning
a Silver Ribbon for her role in Bianco, rosso e Verdone, and a David di Donatello award
for her performance in Acqua e Sapone. She would then become a familiar face in Italian television.
Sora Lella died from a stroke at age 78.
In our tour of Paris, we visited the
Pantheon. This is the Italian Pantheon, the original actually. It was built
by emperor Hadrian around 120 AD, and is one of the oldest and best-preserved
ancient monuments in Rome. It was originally a pagan temple to Roman gods, Pantheon meaning
“All Gods.” In the year 609 the building was converted into a Catholic church by Pope Boniface
IV. It’s notable for the massive 142-foot dome, with an oculus at the top, a design that has
inspired many imitations around the world. Once the Pantheon became a catholic church it
would then become the burial place for notable Italian figures. Among them are several
monarchs, including Vittorio Emanuelle II, father of the patria, the first king of
united Italy, and his son, Umberto I. Umberto was married to Queen Margherita of Savoy.
You pizza lovers will be curious to know that, according to legend, she is the namesake of the
Margherita pizza, the original Neapolitan pizza, created for her in 1889, the red, white, and green
ingredients chosen to reflect the Italian flag.
Not far from Queen Margherita is the grave of
Renaissance master, Raphael. He was born in Urbino in 1483, and in his short life would become
one of the most popular painters of all time. He moved to Florence to study with other
masters, like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. As his notoriety grew, he began to get important
commissions, including from the Vatican. Among his most notable works are The Transfiguration,
The Sistine Madonna, featuring perhaps the most famous cherubs in history at the bottom, and the
Raphael Stanzas at the Vatican, which features the fresco considered his masterpiece, The School
of Athens. It represents the re-birth of Ancient Greek Philosophy, and perfectly embodied the
spirit of the Renaissance. Raphael was just 37 when he died. The inscription on his tomb
reads “Here lies that famous Raphael by whom Nature feared to be conquered while he lived,
and when he was dying, feared herself to die.” 80s kids like me also remember Raphael
as the namesake of this guy.
For our last stop here in Rome, let’s hop
the metro, and head south to the Piramide. Flanking the ancient pyramid of Caio Cestio, is
the Cimitero Accatolico di Roma – the non-Catholic cemetery of Rome. Norms of the Catholic Church
forbade burying non-Catholics in consecrated ground – including Protestants and Jews, as well
as those who committed suicide, or were actors. As such, these individuals had to be buried
elsewhere, often under the darkness of night. In the early 18th century, Pope Clement XI allowed
for burials in the shadow of the ancient Pyramid of Caio Cestio. Then in the 19th century, the
adjoining area was formed into the new cemetery. This was a truly beautiful cemetery, quite distinct from the other’s
we’ve visited here in Rome. And if you’ve seen this monument before, either
in a cemetery near you, or on the album cover of your favorite band, you’ll be curious to know
that those are all replicas of this sculpture. This is the original Angel of Grief, found
right here in Rome, carved in 1894 by sculptor William Story for his wife Emelyn.
Most of those buried here are non-Italian, but there are a few famous Italians found
here too, among them, Andrea Camilleri. He was a writer who found his success quite late
in life. In 1992, when he was well into his 60s, he wrote his first best-selling novel, “The
Hunting Season.” Two years later he would publish the first in what would become his most popular
series of novels, featuring a fictitious detective named Inspector Montalbano. The popularity of the
character and series would lead to adaptations on both television and film. Camilleri died at the
age of 93 after suffering a heart attack.
Back toward the main entrance, a sign
indicates the direction to other famous graves. Atop the hill we find this distinctive monument
to Belinda Lee. She was a British actress who rose to popularity in the 50s and 60s, known
for playing the roles of the blonde sex goddess. She was Aphrodite in Goddess of Love, Lucretia
Borgia in The Nights of Lucretia Borgia, and received top billing in The Secret Place.
By the late 50s she had moved to Italy to make movies here, like Ghosts of Rome. But
her life was cut tragically short while visiting California in 1961. The car she
was riding in crashed near San Bernardino. Belinda Lee died at the age of 25, her remains
returned here to Rome for burial.
Nearby is Percy Shelley, one of the major English
Romantic Poets. Like so many artists of that era, his work was little known in his lifetime. But
since that time, his poems like “Ozymandias,” “Ode to the West Wind,” and “The Mask of Anarchy”
have become hallmarks of English Romanticism. Percy was married to Mary Wollstonecraft
Shelley, who famously wrote Frankenstein. While living here in Rome, Percy Shelley died in a
shipwreck off the coast of Italy at the age of 29. His body washed up on shore days later. There,
on the sands of Viareggio, a small funeral was held and his body was cremated. But parts of
him didn’t burn completely, inducing, famously, his heart, the remains of which were given
to his wife Mary, who kept it with her for the remainder of her life. That piece of
Percy Shelley’s heart would eventually be interred in the family vault in England where
Mary and their son Percy are laid to rest. The quote here on his tomb is from
Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
“Peace, peace! he is not dead, he doth not sleep -
he hath awakened from the dream of life - 'Tis we, who lost in stormy visions, keep with
phantoms an unprofitable strife.” So wrote Percy Shelley about his friend, who
rests nearby, in the old section of the cemetery: John Keats, another of England’s renowned
and beloved poets of the Romantic era. Among his best-known works are his series
of odes, including “Ode to a Nightingale.” “Darkling I listen; and, for many a time; I
have been half in love with easeful Death; Call'd him soft names in many a mused rhyme;
To take into the air my quiet breath.” Just as the nightingale in this poem is
immortal through its song, John Keats is immortal through his poetry. But his physical
body gave up the ghost at the tender age of 25, from the illness that took so many so young in
those days, tuberculosis. He died in Rome in 1821, his last request that he be laid to
rest under a tombstone bearing no name, only the words, “Here lies One
whose Name was writ in Water.” His tombstone also features
a lyre, the symbol of a poet. The missing strings symbolize a life cut short.
Next to Keats is his friend, artist Joseph Severn, who nursed him as his illness
progressed and he lay dying.
Nearby is a relief sculpture of Keats,
beneath which is an acrostic poem, the first letter of each line spelling out KEATS:
K-eats! if thy cherished name be "writ in water"
E-ach drop has fallen from some mourner's cheek;
A-sacred tribute; such as heroes seek,
T-hough oft in vain - for
dazzling deeds of slaughter
S-leep on! Not honoured less
for Epitaph so meek!
And that concludes our tour. What are some
of your favorite memories of the stars we visited today? Share them in the
comments below, and be sure to like, share, and subscribe for more famous grave tours.
Grazie per aver guardato, ci
vediamo al prossimo!
Look who we met in Rome: the Italian cousin of
Close Up the Hollywood Forever Cemetery cat. His name is Arturo Oscuro, and
you know, he’s a pretty cool cat.
