Cultural and Social Landscapes of Milan Monumental Cemetery Based on an Urban Public Open Space Approach

Cemeteries have been created in civilizations in which dead people must be buried. In different epochs, these places have found different features in relation with the kind of perception of the concept of death by the community. In this regard, a cemetery space can be examined from this point of view in different cultures and civilizations; furthermore, the impacts of concepts, worship rites and rituals regarding death in each culture on the creation of cemeteries can be assessed. In fact,the relationship of humans with space depends on the relationship of a person with a place and social relations formed in that place.This means that the quality of an urban space is comparable in terms of status of its relationship with the people and on the other hand in terms of the relationships formed in that space from the historical- cultural and social points of view.
Milan Monumental Cemetery can be a notable instance of architectural view towards the phenomenon of death. This historical cemetery as an open space is the place where a variety of arts are exhibited including painting, sculpture, literature, calligraphy, architecture, architecture of landscape, etc., representing culture, beliefs, and notions of the community concerning concepts such as life, death, virtue, eternal life, Nature and so on.Moreover, this cemetery is counted among the most precious artistic and architectural works of Italy in terms of cultural and social landscapes. As a live and permanent place, this cemetery serves as a space for ritual, cultural, religious and social activities. Thus, the present research aimed to investigate the role of this cemetery as an urban public open space through social and cultural landscapes. This study is classified as a qualitative research method, andthe data were collected by using documentary and field study
analytically and descriptively.