Il Verano. L’Arte e gli Artisti

Presenting a historical, artistic and cultural itinerary of Rome, the Campo Verano monumental cemetery is one of the city’s less-known sites, despite its size and its wealth of fascinating features. The somewhat scarce information about the site has highlighted the value of the open-air museum, while nevertheless prioritising a journey that bears witness to illustrious lives, mainly of politicians, scholars, stars of film and theatre etc. But the publicity hardly ever notes the artists and architects, painters and sculptors, but also artisans of marble, mosaic and glass who are buried here and, similarly, little attention is paid to the artworks left to the Verano by these artists, which are considered minor works. This book attempts to fill this gap in Rome’s art history by returning due attention to works of merit and the many artists who created them, very often fallen into oblivion despite their stated quality; but it also seeks to acknowledge the work of otherwise established artists, for whom this kind of work – although a secondary interest – has provided opportunities for experimentation. Although the locations of the paintings, sculptures and architectural features listed are given in the text, the book should not be seen as a kind of tourist guide to an ‘alternative’ attraction. It was conceived as a research project within a neglected area of art history and the story of Rome.