Florence War cemetery

Florence War cemetery

Commonwealth Cemetery, an area between the Arno embankment and Via Aretina, is a place of peace and remembrance in memory of the 1,637 military personnel who fell in Italy’s liberation campaign between Sept. 8, 1943, and April 25, 1945. Designed by architect Louis de Soissons, the cemetery was built, in an area given in perpetual use by the Italian state. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which provided the site, is still entrusted with the care and maintenance of the cemetery today.

The striking arrangement in the green expanse and the special location close to the river give this site an additional characterizing element that arises from the balance between the natural environment and the built landscape. A two-flight symmetrical staircase, clad in travertine and yellow sandstone, leads to the burial area, located at a lower level than the street level. Below the monumental staircase is a crypt, facing in the direction of the cemetery area. On axis with the entrance is a white marble cross erected on an octagonal pedestal, two arched portals lined with yellow sandstone, and, further on, an altar also made of white marble.