The Protestant Cemetery in Rome
For those who like to visit illustrious cemeteries on their travels, the non-Catholic cemetery in Rome should be in their plans. Also known as the Protestant Cemetery or the ‘English Cemetery’, this place was born in late-18th century, when great changes in funerary customs in Europe were taking place. At the same time, in Rome, the need to create a space for eternal rest for foreigners and non-Catholics was growing.
The chosen location was between the ancient monuments of the Pyramid of Caius Cestius, of the 12th century, and the Aurelian Wall. Originally, it was conceived for Protestants and Orthodox but, since 1953, it began to be called Non-Catholic Cemetery to allow the access to people from other religions. Each religion has its own area.
For more than two centuries, it has given a place to rest to a varied and rich population, painters, sculptors, historians, writers, diplomats, poets and important international celebrities, although perhaps its most emblematic guests are the English poets John Keats and Percy Shelly and one of Goethe’s sons.
Some graves that are especially interesting are:
- The family pantheon of the writer Henrik Andersen, friend of Henry James, which was designed by himself.
- The grave of Gregory Corso, an American beat generation poet, lies here since 2001. He expressed his desire of being buried close to Percy Shelley.
-Thomas Jefferson Page, the American explorer, lies in an elegant family pantheon formed by an obelisk, a statue, a sarcophagus and two columns, created by the Italian sculptor Ettore Ximenes.
- The grave of William Wetmore Story, an American writer of whom Henry James wrote a biography of, possesses the most beautiful sculpture in the cemetery, the Angel of Grief, created by himself as a posthumous tribute to his wife, with who he shares his grave with.
-The grave of Rosa Bathrust, designed by the sculptor Richard Westmarcott Jr. Her early death at the age of 16, due to drowning in the river Tiber, shocked Rome in 1824. It has a refined monument that shows an angel of death putting out the touch of life, and the soul of the girl rising from the waters to the sky accompanied by an angel.
The cemetery is managed privately and entry is free, but they ask for a donation of 3 euros to plan your visit better. On its webpage http://www.protestantcemetery.it/press/newsletter.html you can check out its tri-monthly bulletin, with a programme of their activities.
Address: Via Caio Cestio, 00153, Rome
Timetable: From Monday to Saturday from 9am until 5pm (access until 4.30pm). Sundays and holidays from 9am until 1pm (access until 12.30pm).
Metro: B Line, Piramide
Elena Alvarez
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