In Florence there is a special place, an abode of silence and absence with a charm that wins the visitor: "The English Cemetery", built by the Swiss community in 1827 outside the city walls, but now is embedded in the circle of boulevards and dominates, with its stone wall on which the towering cypresses, the Piazzale Donatello.
The image is of monumental island, ideally represented by the painter Arnold Böcklin famous painting "The Island of the Dead", but perhaps the most appropriate representation of the cemetery gate to 'Pinti is evoked in the photo exhibition entitled: "Island of Souls", organized in 2001 at the Cabinet Vieusseux GP. The founder of the literary and scientific circle Vieusseux Giovan Pietro, born in Geneva, is one of the famous people buried in this place, where peace reigns.
around the hill surrounded by the ring of stone dart machines, but just pass the gate, go through the arch at the entrance of the building and go into the walk bordered by the green bushes to find a silent world, where the statues and figures carved in relief of the tombs enchant the eye with their beauty. Entries conjure up the lives of distinguished foreigners, not only Swiss, French and English but also Russian and fell in love with Florence.
Among the many names I remember the English poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Walter Savage Landor, the Trollope, ... but I would like to devote a thought to a Russian friend, Yevgeny Poljakov, choreographer and director of the Ballet of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, who died in Paris in 1996, wanted to return with the mortal remains in the beloved Florence.
several years attending the cemetery, where I love to stop sitting on top of the avenue on the stone benches on either side of the large column in the shade of cypress trees, gaze dwells on the beauty of a marble angel and the soul is filled with the peace of mind, oblivious of the neurosis that traffic continues to flow beyond the wall. I also combined the two cultural events that give life to this place, which is not only the kingdom of sepulchral silence. In the Library, named after Fioretta Mazzei, are collected books on the history of Florence and Tuscany, to the life and works of the people buried in the cemetery, a large section is devoted to Dante. Several meetings were organized for reading and commenting on the songs of the Divine Comedy. The cultural association "Golden Ring" was formed with the aim to promote initiatives to raise awareness this place and works of art and historical memories stored in it.
Unfortunately, the cemetery gate to 'Pinti likely to be closed to visitors, if they are not urgent funds for the restoration and is currently collecting signatures to be sent to UNESCO, with which it is required that "the English Cemetery in Florence properties Switzerland can still be visited, is restored and declared a World Heritage Site.
I appeal to all you dear friends who read me to collect signatures, the appeal can be found by connecting to this address, copy it from the blog went to visit, I recommend you subscribe, your signature is important! http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/471134975.
And if you have any other information about the history of the cemetery was opened on http://piazzaledonatello.blogspot.com blog.
I am sure that will not disappoint me, try to spread the link of the appeal because the more signatures you collect, the greater the chance of having the protection of UNESCO. A big thank you in advance for the support you give to this initiative striving to preserve a place that holds memories and memoirs of distinguished members of foreign communities with their presence enriched the history of Florence.
