Venice's Cemetery on San Michele Island Tour

Meeting Point: Combo at Campo dei Gesuiti. We’ll meet at Combo, located in Campo dei Gesuiti, just steps from Fondamente Nove.  . From there, we'll walk a short distance to the Fondamente Nove vaporetto stop and board the boat to San Michele Island, Venice’s peaceful cemetery island nestled between Venice and Murano.

A Cemetery on an Island. Our guided walk begins at the grand cemetery of San Michele. Surrounded by cypress trees and lagoon waters, this tranquil island offers a reflective escape from Venice’s busy pace. Along the way, you’ll uncover fascinating stories and symbolic inscriptions that adorn its historic tombs.

The First Renaissance Church in Venice. We’ll pass by San Michele in Isola, considered Venice’s first Renaissance church, built by Mauro Codussi. While access may be restricted, we’ll explore the adjoining former monastery, now integrated into the cemetery complex.

A Nobel Prize-Winning Poet. In the Anglican section, we’ll pay our respects at the grave of Joseph Brodsky, Nobel laureate in Literature (1987), who lived as an exile in Venice and chose to be buried here, calling San Michele his personal “version of Paradise.”

A Controversial American Poet. We’ll continue to the tomb of Ezra Pound, a foundational figure in modernist poetry whose work remains influential despite controversy. His resting place is a place for contemplation and memory.

Solertia vincat – Wisdom Shall Triumph. Here rests Ashley Clarke, a British diplomat and post-war guardian of Venetian heritage. The Latin inscription Solertia vincat (“Let wisdom prevail”) reflects his lifelong dedication to the city's cultural survival.We will say thanks to a British diplomat who was ambassador to Italy and later the chairman of the "Venice in Peril Fund".  

The Football Coach Who Made History. We’ll visit the grave of Helenio Herrera, legendary manager behind the famed Grande Inter, affectionately known as “Il Mago” for his tactical prowess and charismatic leadership.We will see how Queen of England solved some bureaucratic issues related to the tumulation of a famous argentine football player and manager, best remembered for his success with the Italian soccer team Inter in the 1960s.

Music Is Venice. Venice Is Music.. In the Orthodox section, discover the modest graves of Igor Stravinsky and Sergei Diaghilev, cultural giants whose artistic collaborations helped shape modern music and dance.

A Master of Informal Art. We’ll pay tribute to Emilio Vedova, a leading figure of Italy’s Arte Informale movement. His museum-quality works are now housed in the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.

The Ballet Impresario Who Feared Water. We’ll visit Sergei Diaghilev’s tomb once more — the ironic resting place of a man who famously feared water, yet was carried by boat in his final journey.Sometimes life (and death) is ironic. We will see the tomb with the ballerina shoes of a Russian art critic, patron, ballet impresario and founder of the "Ballets Russes" in Paris, from which many famous dancers and choreographers would arise. David Chipperfield's cemetery extension: The guiding idea behind the scheme designed by Chipperfield is an organisational structure that uses courtyards of various sizes, that echo the fifteenth-century cloister of San Michele nearby. In contrast to the existing arrangement of tombs in rows, the scheme groups buildings, walls, tombs and landscape together, creating a sense of intimacy and enclosure.

David Chipperfield’s Cemetery Extension. We’ll explore the new cemetery extension designed by David Chipperfield, a modern architectural space inspired by Venetian cloisters, combining tombs, courtyards, and landscape into an intimate, contemplative environment.

The Psychiatrist Who Closed the Asylums. We’ll stop at the grave of Franco Basaglia, celebrated Italian psychiatrist whose reforms closed mental hospitals and reshaped modern mental health care.  

The Former Monumental Entrance. We’ll pause at the site of the cemetery’s original monumental entrance, offering expansive views of the lagoon and Venice — a serene spot for reflection.  

Nuns, Monks & Servants of the State.  We’ll conclude by visiting the sections reserved for religious communities and state servants, reflecting the island’s layered social and spiritual history.