Studying monumental cemeteries to understand societies

Starting from the work by Malone this contribution traces the development and social changes of monumental cemeteries in Italy during the nineteenth-century. By analysing how the culture of the dead has changed over time, it offers to the reader a “fresco” of the major changes in society. The author’s point of view provides insight into the relation between funerary architecture and the social order of Italian society. The reason why the author focuses on the Italian case depends on the fact that the Italian monumental cemetery represents an ideal case to show “how networks of social, cultural and political forces can influence architecture”