grave post - Campodonico

Caterina Campodonico was born in 1804 as a strong willed peasant who spent her life traveling far and wide selling her homemade reste - necklaces made of nuts (sometimes translated as hazelnuts or chestnuts or peanuts) and breads. She was judged as too independent by her family and when she became ill in 1880 instead of helping to care for her were already arguing about how to distribute her wealth (which they did not believe was solely from selling her breads and nuts). However she defied them by living and then, using the money she had been saving, commissioning the most prominent sculptor of the time as well as a popular poet to create her monument.

"By selling necklaces of nuts and sweets at the Sanctuaries of Acquasanta, Garbo and St. Cipriasso, defying wind, sun and water coming down in buckets, in order to provide an honest loaf for my old age; among the little money laid by myself to the furthest ends of time, with this monument, which I Caterina Campodonico (called the Peasant) an authentic inhabitant of Portoria, have erected while still alive. 1881. Oh, you who pass close to this, my tomb, if you will, pray for my peace." 

Giambattista Vigo (which seems to have a more flowing meter and rhyme in the original Genoese dialect)

Caterina chose the famed Lorenzo Orengo as he was the best sculptor among the Genoese bourgeoisie.

Just as many of the entrepreneurs and professionals had the symbols of their wealth, Caterina made sure she was wearing the traditional garb of the hawker and is seen with the objects of her trade - a necklace of nuts with twisted loaves of bread.

It is said that she used to delight in standing beside herself in her traditional skirt and apron with the fringed shawl for the Genoese who flocked to see her marble monument.

On July 7th 1882, Caterina died and there was a long procession following her to the Staglieno Cemetery from the church of Santo Stefano.

Her statue has become the most recognized in the cemetery "which more than any other has a place in the collective memory and imagination".


see more monuments at Taphophile Tragics

grave post - Staglieno

The entrance to the Staglieno Cemetery includes these flower stalls, which seems a very practical thing to have.

The views out over the rooftop of the mausoleum over to the city of Genoa were spectacular

as were the views within the cemetery

some of the areas resembled the mediaeval quarter with the narrow, stepped alleys

though some of these grave sites were a little worse for wear. 

I wonder how these old bones feel to be lying in such a topsy turvy state.

see more grave states at Taphophile Tragics

grave post - Mazzini

Last Sunday I was wandering around the Staglieno Cemetery (in Genoa, Italy), in sheer and absolute awe of the statuary and views. Content to just be aimless and not seek out anyone famous since I had such a short time in Genoa, the several signs I found pointing to Mazzini had me curious. Some were hand written, some were photocopies. This was the most official looking one.
At one point, someone carrying a flower, whom I had seen wandering around, asked me something in Italian which I did not understand. Then, seeing another sign pointing to Mazzini, I realized that was what she was looking for, so together we walked up the many, many (oh dear lord, many steps) while I asked her who this person was. He is the Father of Italy, she explained in halting English. With Garibaldi, who I had heard of. We both agreed that Mazzini would be weeping to see how his beloved Italy (and perhaps the EU?) was having so many problems now.

Giuseppe Mazzini started his life in Genoa in 1805 and died of pleurisy in Pisa at age 66 in 1872. In between, he was a journalist, politician and activist for Italian unification/independence while spending a considerable amount of time in exile for his revolutionary activities. He would promote the idea of creating a 'United States of Europe' long before the European Union was designed. According to one source, though his actions were sometimes politically indiscreet, he was a man of attractive character and strong personal magnetism, distinguished throughout his career for disinterested patriotism and the highest moral standards of conduct. No man won so many admirers as Mazzini and yet secured so few friends. There was hardly a human being whom long familiarity had not estranged from Mazzini. With manners consummately affable and courteous he combined an overweening conceit and a narrowness and bigotry of view which hardly tolerated independent minds.

I could find no mention of any romantic interests or family.

I must say, apart from the fact that this seems to resemble a cave the way it is dug into the hillside, I found it a bit anti-climactic after seeing the other tombs with their detailed carvings. It was the only one that warranted signs, so must be a popular pilgrimage for many Italians, but I was too hot and thirsty by then to try to figure out who the other people were in the fenced in area of his tomb. More elaborate tombs will follow in the coming weeks.


to see other tomb discoveries, (including possibly more from this cemetery via Biebkriebels and sc who were there just before I was) follow the signs to Taphophile Tragics