The English Cemetery in Florence

Not far from our apartment is the English Cemetery.  When Florence was a walled city, the cemetery stood just outside the city's wall on a small hill.  The cemetery was established in 1828 for the burial of non-Catholics, including some well-known writers and artists.  The cemetery is still active--a longtime member of our church in Florence recently passed away and was interred there.

Today, the cemetery is sort of an "island of the dead".  In the 1860's, the city walls were demolished to make way for wide boulevards.  The cemetery divides the boulevard, creating an island amidst a sea of traffic. 

While cemeteries are not a pleasant subject, the English Cemetery is blog-worthy.  Despite being surrounded by busy roads filled with noisy Vespas, Fiats and buses, the cemetery is a tranquil, beautiful oasis.  The cemetery sits atop a hill and the street noise is hardly noticeable.  Plus, the cemetery is filled with greenery and, because we visited in April, the irises were blooming.   The greenery included Cypress trees, an ancient Etruscan symbol of eternal life.  Cypress trees are typically planted in Italian cemeteries, especially in Tuscany.   

Below are a few photos from our visit. 

P.S.  Below is Swiss painter Arnold Böcklin's Isle of the Dead (1880), supposedly based on the English Cemetery in Florence.