Monumental cemetery of Brescia
The Monumental Cemetery of Brescia (also known as "Vantiniano") is one of the first and most ancient monumental cemetery in Italy. It was the first construction project by the Neoclassical architect Rodolfo Vantini, who started its erection in 1813 and dedicated his whole life to its creation. History. The Napoleonic Edict of Saint-Cloud enacted on 12 June 1804 established some rules related to the public healthcare, imposing a certain distance between the place designated for burials and residential areas. In 1806, Brescia was one of the first cities to promulgate a law based on the  edict and the city deputation decided to establish a graveyard following the new guidelines. The designated area was chosen to be out of "Porta San Giovanni", while on 12 September 1808 the City of Brescia acquired new lands for this purpose. On 19 January 1810, the bishop Gabrio Maria Nava consecrated the place and immediately after the cemetery started to be used. In 1814, after many debates about the facility enhancement, the architect Rodolfo Vantini was nominated to build a funerary chapel. During the following years, neoclassical arcades and buildings inspired by Hellenistic architecture were added to this area thanks  to Vantini even though the whole construction took several years and was only completed at the beginning of the XX century, after Vantini’s death. Description. The main sections which compose the Cemetery are: