Palermo's Monumental Cemetery Aims to Become Tourist Attraction Like Père Lachaise

The monumental cemetery of Palermo, the Cimitero di Santa Maria di Gesù, is launching a guided tourist route, following the success of a theatrical opening of the Florio mausoleum on December 22, 2024, which attracted over 1,200 visitors. The initiative is made possible by a protocol signed by the Comune di Palermo, the Fondazione Le Vie dei Tesori, and three guide associations (AGT, GTA, GTI), valid experimentally until April 30, 2025. The route includes noble tombs, the Florio mausoleum, and the grave of anti-mafia judge Paolo Borsellino. The oldest chapel dates from the mid-15th century, but the cemetery expanded significantly after 1804 when Napoleon banned church burials. The Florio tomb, designed by Giuseppe Damiani Almeyda, was the first stop. The project aims to emulate famous cemetery-tourist destinations like Père Lachaise in Paris (3.5 million visitors yearly), Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Highgate Cemetery in London, and Staglieno in Genoa. The initiative is promoted by Fondazione Le Vie dei Tesori, which has been transforming Sicilian cities into open-air museums since 2006.