Varese - In cemeteries a heritage to be protected: the commission examines the tombs to be protected - - Varese News

Cemeteries are places of memory where the emotional bond continues. Inside the 14 cemeteries of the city of Varese, there are tombs, chapels, shrines that constitute a historical, artistic and cultural heritage of the city.

Most of the sepulchral works are maintained and cared for but others are in a state of abandonment, where the bond of memory has now left ample space for oblivion. According to the new cemetery regulation, abandoned burials are reassigned if, at the end of a long investigation, no one requests their permanence. The bones of the deceased are taken to the municipal ossuary and the cemetery spaces return to municipal availability.

In the 14 city cemeteries, however, there are real monuments of artistic and architectural value of value and thus tombs of people who have made history, whose symbol surpasses the oblivion of individuals.

The new regulation provides for the establishment of a Consultative Commission for the enhancement of the tombs and the historical-artistic and architectural heritage of the cemeteries of Varese, composed of high-profile experts such as the architect Gianfranco Ferrario , who has been studying the cemeteries for over thirty years, the president of the commission itself , Professor Leonardo Tomassoni , as well as professors Giuseppe Armocida, Ivana Pederzani and Paola Viotto.

They were assigned the task of visiting the 14 cemeteries and drawing up a list of assets to be protected and looked after, as Mayor Davide Galimberti explains: «We have created a tool that allows us to preserve and publicise the historic tombs of our city, integrating this work with the Famedio project for the valorisation of illustrious Varese citizens».

The Commission has been in office for a year: "We visited the city's cemeteries, tomb by tomb, taking inspiration from their history and mapping the tombs of civic, artistic and architectural value - explained President Tomassoni - The need to not touch valuable tombs that would risk being lost without adequate attention has clearly emerged. It is not easy to draw a clear boundary between what must be preserved and what can be removed, because respect for memory and heritage requires a thorough and responsible approach".

A recent inspection by the Commission at the Monumental Cemetery of Giubiano , carried out between June and July 2024, led to the identification of numerous tombs of significant artistic and historical value, which deserve special protection . Among these, the Macchi and Nasoni Edicules, highly valuable works signed by the architect Sommaruga, and the tomb of Giuseppe Guerzoni, a Risorgimento patriot and secretary of Giuseppe Garibaldi. There are also the tombs of figures who have marked local and national history, such as the senator and hematologist Giulio Bizzozero, as well as sculptures by artists such as Eugenio Pellini, Angelo and Vittore Frattini, Adriano Bozzolo.

The data collection work has led the commission to propose initiatives extended to the citizens such as guided tours, a project under study by the Department of Culture. The starting point is the guide to city cemeteries created decades ago by the architect Ferrario and which should now be updated : "In recent years the architectural heritage has rapidly deteriorated also due to acid rain - explained the expert - It is necessary to intervene promptly to avoid irreparable damage. The cemeteries tell us the story of Varese, starting from the nineteenth century. Here we find entrepreneurs, politicians, scientists, artists: figures who have contributed to the growth of the city".

The new cemetery regulation also provides for the possibility of reusing abandoned valuable tombs , allowing the addition of new deceased with the obligation, for those who take over, to take charge of the maintenance of the monument, so as to guarantee its conservation.

In an era in which historical memory often risks being neglected, this work of the Commission and the Municipal Administration represents a fundamental step to restore centrality to cemeteries as places of identity and culture.

The Commission also aims to involve the world of schools, so that the younger generations can understand and appreciate the historical and cultural significance of cemeteries. Because, as the members of the Commission emphasize, in the "city of the dead" lies the very soul of the history of Varese.