Visiting Gramsci

Rome, Cats and Cemeteries

Morning Comrades,

Just as a heads up, today’s dispatch will most likely be the last one this week as I am still settling back into my day to day reality and have a few offline issues that need working out, but we will definitely be back to a regular schedule next week. Thanks for the patience here.

Whilst on this trip to Italy, we stopped Gramsci’s grave in Rome, something I had not done previously and whilst initially a little overwhelmed when I finally made it to the site of his grave, the visit soon led to a number of thoughts that I wanted to share with you, mostly because I often forget some realities that are centred in our struggle for liberation. Gramsci’s work has been central to my studies since I started University in 1996. Both my Ba and Ma very specifically deal only with various topics from Gramsci’s work and the majority of PhD does as well. Considering I have been centring myself in and around his ideas and actions for almost 30 years it is, in retrospect not surprising how impactful this visit was.

Before we get into it though, for anyone wanting to visit Gramsci, not only is this visit free and you can do so almost every day and he is buried at a most particular cemetery in Rome and it is an absolutely beautiful place to see and spend time. The cemetery itself is quite significant. The Protestant Cemetery in Rome, officially known as the Cimitero Acattolico ("Non-Catholic Cemetery"), is one of the most picturesque and historically significant burial grounds in Europe. It is located in the Testaccio district, adjacent to the Pyramid of Cestius, a prominent Roman tomb from the 1st century BCE, which adds to the cemetery's unique atmosphere. The cemetery has been a resting place for non-Catholic, mainly Protestant, foreigners who died in Rome since the early 18th century. Over the years, it has become not only a symbol of cultural diversity but also a place of pilgrimage for literary enthusiasts and admirers of Romantic art.

The origins of the Protestant Cemetery can be traced back to the 18th century. At that time, Roman law forbade the burial of non-Catholics within the city walls or in consecrated Catholic cemeteries. Foreigners, especially Protestants, who passed away in Rome were often buried outside the city, usually at night, in unmarked graves. Pope Clement XI allowed the establishment of a proper burial ground for these foreigners in 1716, which was set up near the Pyramid of Cestius. This area, outside the city walls yet in a significant and quiet location, gradually became known as the "Protestant Cemetery."