The Monumental Cemetery of Iglesias, inaugurated on August 20, 1835, was built near the Church of Beata Vergine Maria di Valverde, outside the city walls.
Due to the progressive increase in the population, it was found to be insufficient and was subsequently expanded several times starting from 1850. Thanks also to the contribution of the most important artists of the time, it soon became a real showcase of works of art, almost like an “open-air museum.”
The monumental complex consists of a rather large central part, surrounded by imposing walls, adorned with cypress avenues and Mediterranean essences. Carefully maintained and frequented regularly by the population, linked to the memory of their loved ones, it is one of the main monumental emergencies of the city.
The cemetery is famous, in particular, for the sculptures of Giuseppe Sartorio (1854-1922), a prestigious artist who initially gained fame for being commissioned by the Piedmontese leaders of the Iglesias mines to erect some statues in the city.
Sartorio’s skill and splendid creations immediately contributed to his fame, transforming him into one of the most well-known and appreciated artists in all of Sardinia, where he established two workshops, one in Cagliari and the other in Sassari. In the cemetery of Iglesias are present 65 works of his sculpture.
