Italian
In Breda di Piave, she certainly had the opportunity to meet the young Sofia Spineda, who from childhood scorned the worldly life of the villa, focusing her attention on the poorer and more unfortunate people. She thus decided to retreat to her property in Santa Bona.
Sofia Spineda, by her testamentary wishes, therefore wanted to be buried in the cemetery next to the church, where she left funds to build a bell tower.
If painful events particularly attract attention, the case of Giuditta Coletti Bonomi is remarkable, a young bride who died at only 34 years old, the only one to be remembered on two tombstones (24), one from her parents, large, important but with few words. Placed on the wall of the church is the other (80), more modest, with a photograph and words dictated by her husband.
The only remaining of the great family tombs, erected in sorrowful remembrance and with the sad desire to rest beside their beloved ones, is the tomb of the Bozza -Coppitz families(75).
There is also a small chapel next to the church (22): it is dedicated to the bishops of Treviso Federico Maria Zinelli and Giuseppe Apollonio.
Among the causes of death, when reported, there is certainly disease, particularly smallpox, cholera, pellagra, and tuberculosis.
But there is another key to understanding death that can be grasped through the tombstones: that of a Christian faith lived and transmitted by the priests of the community, securely gathered by the faithful.
On the tombstones, there are also listings of virtues and values that the deceased pursued in life and are indicated as examples for those who remain. Furthermore, there is a strong connection to life beyond death. Because death is ultimately just a passage that allows us to reunite with those who left us prematurely.
Another relevant aspect concerns the symbols present on the tombstones: the cross united with the olive branch, a sign of redemption and peace; the lit lamp, which invites vigilance; the alpha and omega, representing the beginning and the end; the hourglass with wings, enclosed between bars, reminding us of the volatility and tyranny of time; the tricorn hat, the cap of priests, and the stole to remember the dignity of the buried person. Finally, the uroboros, the serpent that bites its tail forming a circle, is a symbol of continuity.
All this information is contained in the book published by Editrice San Liberale, titled “The Tale of the Tombstones: Signs and Voices from the Past in the Ancient Cemetery of Santa Bona in Treviso” and encourages readers to visit other cemeteries, not only the monumental ones in Milan and Rome that contain the burials of illustrious people, but also those in our areas, where from the graves one can glean information about those who have passed away, the salient features of their lives, how much they were loved or the good they did.
In this historic moment, when most deceased individuals are cremated and their ashes are often scattered. This project and this book aimed to take on the challenge of re-evaluating this space of tombstones and what it represents: an invitation to meditation in silent prayer.
Burials were suspended, and in the following years, the remains of the deceased were gradually recovered and reunited with family graves or placed in the common ossuary of the new cemetery, until the 1950s-60s, when all the burial space was cleared and became the current forecourt. What had been the old cemetery of Santa Bona would still continue to be a place of compassion and remembrance for the relatives buried there.
And it is precisely for this reason that the Spoon River Project was born in May 2023, from the idea of the parish priest Don Federico Testa, to recover the faces and stories of many fellow villagers evoked by the tombstones still present on the outer fence and the perimeter wall of the church and together to retrace a significant part of the community’s history.
The Scientific Committee, composed of Maurizio Bandiera, Lino Bianchin, Luciano Franchin, Filomena Mancini, Eugènie Reginato, coordinated by Gianni Tosello, has therefore taken on the task of realizing the project, starting the study and research activity on the 115 tombstones that commemorate 145 deceased individuals, initially photographing and transcribing them, and then conducting historical research in the State archives, the Diocese, and the parish archives.
Based on the texts, a writing competition for prose and poetry has also been promoted for students of local schools, high schools, and middle schools, open to interested individuals as well.
Among the distinguished people buried here is Sofia Spineda, who knew and frequented Aglaia Anassilide, a poetess of Arcadia, whose real name was Angela Veronese. Although she was born in Biadene, Angela followed her father, a gardener, to Ca’Zenobio in Santa Bona. Later, the family moved to the Albrizzi nobility, in their villa on Terraglio, where she had the opportunity to meet Ippolito Pindemonte and Ugo Foscolo, as well as other illustrious intellectuals of the time.
In Breda di Piave, she certainly had the opportunity to meet the young Sofia Spineda, who from childhood scorned the worldly life of the villa, focusing her attention on the poorer and more unfortunate people. She thus decided to retreat to her property in Santa Bona.
Sofia Spineda, by her testamentary wishes, therefore wanted to be buried in the cemetery next to the church, where she left funds to build a bell tower.
If painful events particularly attract attention, the case of Giuditta Coletti Bonomi is remarkable, a young bride who died at only 34 years old, the only one to be remembered on two tombstones (24), one from her parents, large, important but with few words. Placed on the wall of the church is the other (80), more modest, with a photograph and words dictated by her husband.
The only remaining of the great family tombs, erected in sorrowful remembrance and with the sad desire to rest beside their beloved ones, is the tomb of the Bozza -Coppitz families(75).
There is also a small chapel next to the church (22): it is dedicated to the bishops of Treviso Federico Maria Zinelli and Giuseppe Apollonio.
Among the causes of death, when reported, there is certainly disease, particularly smallpox, cholera, pellagra, and tuberculosis.
But there is another key to understanding death that can be grasped through the tombstones: that of a Christian faith lived and transmitted by the priests of the community, securely gathered by the faithful.
On the tombstones, there are also listings of virtues and values that the deceased pursued in life and are indicated as examples for those who remain. Furthermore, there is a strong connection to life beyond death. Because death is ultimately just a passage that allows us to reunite with those who left us prematurely.
Another relevant aspect concerns the symbols present on the tombstones: the cross united with the olive branch, a sign of redemption and peace; the lit lamp, which invites vigilance; the alpha and omega, representing the beginning and the end; the hourglass with wings, enclosed between bars, reminding us of the volatility and tyranny of time; the tricorn hat, the cap of priests, and the stole to remember the dignity of the buried person. Finally, the uroboros, the serpent that bites its tail forming a circle, is a symbol of continuity.
All this information is contained in the book published by Editrice San Liberale, titled “The Tale of the Tombstones: Signs and Voices from the Past in the Ancient Cemetery of Santa Bona in Treviso” and encourages readers to visit other cemeteries, not only the monumental ones in Milan and Rome that contain the burials of illustrious people, but also those in our areas, where from the graves one can glean information about those who have passed away, the salient features of their lives, how much they were loved or the good they did.
In this historic moment, when most deceased individuals are cremated and their ashes are often scattered. This project and this book aimed to take on the challenge of re-evaluating this space of tombstones and what it represents: an invitation to meditation in silent prayer.
The ancient church of Santa Bona was built near the gate of the same name in the outer village of the city in 1153, to preserve the relics of the saint. With the construction of the Renaissance walls in 1513, the outer villages and those closer to the embankment were razed to the ground up to a distance of 500 meters from the walls. The village of Santa Bona was one of the most devastated, and on this occasion, even the traces of the original church were lost.
Only in 1750 did the Senate of the Republic of Venice grant permission for the reconstruction of the church, which began in 1759 with the laying of the first stone and was completed in 1771 with the blessing of Bishop Paolo Francesco Giustiniani.
With the opening of the new church, burials in the adjacent cemetery also began, which predominantly took place in the ground, through inhumation. Burial in tombs, mostly placed during the external period, would only occur later and be reserved for a few families.
In Treviso, after the suppression of religious orders in 1808, due to the Napoleonic regime, the urban parishes were reduced from 17 to 5. As a result, the parishes outside the city were redefined and gained greater importance, as happened with Santa Bona and its cemetery.
After the period of Napoleonic rule, from 1813 to 1866, Treviso returned under Austrian domination and then under the Kingdom of Italy. Meanwhile, the Municipality of Treviso was developing a new Mortuary Police Regulation, which included, among other things, a new inter-municipal cemetery in the territory of Santa Bona, which would begin burials on January 1, 1923. Therefore, from that date, the construction of new graves and burials in its parish cemetery was prohibited.
Burials were suspended, and in the following years, the remains of the deceased were gradually recovered and reunited with family graves or placed in the common ossuary of the new cemetery, until the 1950s-60s, when all the burial space was cleared and became the current forecourt. What had been the old cemetery of Santa Bona would still continue to be a place of compassion and remembrance for the relatives buried there.
And it is precisely for this reason that the Spoon River Project was born in May 2023, from the idea of the parish priest Don Federico Testa, to recover the faces and stories of many fellow villagers evoked by the tombstones still present on the outer fence and the perimeter wall of the church and together to retrace a significant part of the community’s history.
The Scientific Committee, composed of Maurizio Bandiera, Lino Bianchin, Luciano Franchin, Filomena Mancini, Eugènie Reginato, coordinated by Gianni Tosello, has therefore taken on the task of realizing the project, starting the study and research activity on the 115 tombstones that commemorate 145 deceased individuals, initially photographing and transcribing them, and then conducting historical research in the State archives, the Diocese, and the parish archives.
Based on the texts, a writing competition for prose and poetry has also been promoted for students of local schools, high schools, and middle schools, open to interested individuals as well.
Among the distinguished people buried here is Sofia Spineda, who knew and frequented Aglaia Anassilide, a poetess of Arcadia, whose real name was Angela Veronese. Although she was born in Biadene, Angela followed her father, a gardener, to Ca’Zenobio in Santa Bona. Later, the family moved to the Albrizzi nobility, in their villa on Terraglio, where she had the opportunity to meet Ippolito Pindemonte and Ugo Foscolo, as well as other illustrious intellectuals of the time.
In Breda di Piave, she certainly had the opportunity to meet the young Sofia Spineda, who from childhood scorned the worldly life of the villa, focusing her attention on the poorer and more unfortunate people. She thus decided to retreat to her property in Santa Bona.
Sofia Spineda, by her testamentary wishes, therefore wanted to be buried in the cemetery next to the church, where she left funds to build a bell tower.
If painful events particularly attract attention, the case of Giuditta Coletti Bonomi is remarkable, a young bride who died at only 34 years old, the only one to be remembered on two tombstones (24), one from her parents, large, important but with few words. Placed on the wall of the church is the other (80), more modest, with a photograph and words dictated by her husband.
The only remaining of the great family tombs, erected in sorrowful remembrance and with the sad desire to rest beside their beloved ones, is the tomb of the Bozza -Coppitz families(75).
There is also a small chapel next to the church (22): it is dedicated to the bishops of Treviso Federico Maria Zinelli and Giuseppe Apollonio.
Among the causes of death, when reported, there is certainly disease, particularly smallpox, cholera, pellagra, and tuberculosis.
But there is another key to understanding death that can be grasped through the tombstones: that of a Christian faith lived and transmitted by the priests of the community, securely gathered by the faithful.
On the tombstones, there are also listings of virtues and values that the deceased pursued in life and are indicated as examples for those who remain. Furthermore, there is a strong connection to life beyond death. Because death is ultimately just a passage that allows us to reunite with those who left us prematurely.
Another relevant aspect concerns the symbols present on the tombstones: the cross united with the olive branch, a sign of redemption and peace; the lit lamp, which invites vigilance; the alpha and omega, representing the beginning and the end; the hourglass with wings, enclosed between bars, reminding us of the volatility and tyranny of time; the tricorn hat, the cap of priests, and the stole to remember the dignity of the buried person. Finally, the uroboros, the serpent that bites its tail forming a circle, is a symbol of continuity.
All this information is contained in the book published by Editrice San Liberale, titled “The Tale of the Tombstones: Signs and Voices from the Past in the Ancient Cemetery of Santa Bona in Treviso” and encourages readers to visit other cemeteries, not only the monumental ones in Milan and Rome that contain the burials of illustrious people, but also those in our areas, where from the graves one can glean information about those who have passed away, the salient features of their lives, how much they were loved or the good they did.
In this historic moment, when most deceased individuals are cremated and their ashes are often scattered. This project and this book aimed to take on the challenge of re-evaluating this space of tombstones and what it represents: an invitation to meditation in silent prayer.
Signs and voices of the past in the ancient cemetery of Santa Bona
The Spoon River Anthology is a highly original collection of poems, which are actually epitaphs of the inhabitants of an imaginary village on the banks of the river of the same name, written by Edgar Lee Masters in 1915. It became famous thanks to the 1971 album by Fabrizio De André Non al denaro né all’amore né al cielo, freely adapted from the book of the same name, introduced to him by Fernanda Pivano, an Italian translator, writer, journalist, and music critic, passionate about American culture.
In fact, this story of people’s lives through the reading of tombstones in a cemetery served the author to demystify the reality of a small American rural town, with cross-references that allow for a broader view of the entire community; for each of them, information is provided about their lives, their losses and defeats, and the reason for their death.
The same operation was carried out, gathering information from the tombstones in the ancient cemetery of Santa Bona, which from 1772 to 1922 collected testimonies related to both famous individuals and ordinary people, as well as prelates who chose this place as a sign of their earthly memory.
The ancient church of Santa Bona was built near the gate of the same name in the outer village of the city in 1153, to preserve the relics of the saint. With the construction of the Renaissance walls in 1513, the outer villages and those closer to the embankment were razed to the ground up to a distance of 500 meters from the walls. The village of Santa Bona was one of the most devastated, and on this occasion, even the traces of the original church were lost.
Only in 1750 did the Senate of the Republic of Venice grant permission for the reconstruction of the church, which began in 1759 with the laying of the first stone and was completed in 1771 with the blessing of Bishop Paolo Francesco Giustiniani.
With the opening of the new church, burials in the adjacent cemetery also began, which predominantly took place in the ground, through inhumation. Burial in tombs, mostly placed during the external period, would only occur later and be reserved for a few families.
In Treviso, after the suppression of religious orders in 1808, due to the Napoleonic regime, the urban parishes were reduced from 17 to 5. As a result, the parishes outside the city were redefined and gained greater importance, as happened with Santa Bona and its cemetery.
After the period of Napoleonic rule, from 1813 to 1866, Treviso returned under Austrian domination and then under the Kingdom of Italy. Meanwhile, the Municipality of Treviso was developing a new Mortuary Police Regulation, which included, among other things, a new inter-municipal cemetery in the territory of Santa Bona, which would begin burials on January 1, 1923. Therefore, from that date, the construction of new graves and burials in its parish cemetery was prohibited.
Burials were suspended, and in the following years, the remains of the deceased were gradually recovered and reunited with family graves or placed in the common ossuary of the new cemetery, until the 1950s-60s, when all the burial space was cleared and became the current forecourt. What had been the old cemetery of Santa Bona would still continue to be a place of compassion and remembrance for the relatives buried there.
And it is precisely for this reason that the Spoon River Project was born in May 2023, from the idea of the parish priest Don Federico Testa, to recover the faces and stories of many fellow villagers evoked by the tombstones still present on the outer fence and the perimeter wall of the church and together to retrace a significant part of the community’s history.
The Scientific Committee, composed of Maurizio Bandiera, Lino Bianchin, Luciano Franchin, Filomena Mancini, Eugènie Reginato, coordinated by Gianni Tosello, has therefore taken on the task of realizing the project, starting the study and research activity on the 115 tombstones that commemorate 145 deceased individuals, initially photographing and transcribing them, and then conducting historical research in the State archives, the Diocese, and the parish archives.
Based on the texts, a writing competition for prose and poetry has also been promoted for students of local schools, high schools, and middle schools, open to interested individuals as well.
Among the distinguished people buried here is Sofia Spineda, who knew and frequented Aglaia Anassilide, a poetess of Arcadia, whose real name was Angela Veronese. Although she was born in Biadene, Angela followed her father, a gardener, to Ca’Zenobio in Santa Bona. Later, the family moved to the Albrizzi nobility, in their villa on Terraglio, where she had the opportunity to meet Ippolito Pindemonte and Ugo Foscolo, as well as other illustrious intellectuals of the time.
In Breda di Piave, she certainly had the opportunity to meet the young Sofia Spineda, who from childhood scorned the worldly life of the villa, focusing her attention on the poorer and more unfortunate people. She thus decided to retreat to her property in Santa Bona.
Sofia Spineda, by her testamentary wishes, therefore wanted to be buried in the cemetery next to the church, where she left funds to build a bell tower.
If painful events particularly attract attention, the case of Giuditta Coletti Bonomi is remarkable, a young bride who died at only 34 years old, the only one to be remembered on two tombstones (24), one from her parents, large, important but with few words. Placed on the wall of the church is the other (80), more modest, with a photograph and words dictated by her husband.
The only remaining of the great family tombs, erected in sorrowful remembrance and with the sad desire to rest beside their beloved ones, is the tomb of the Bozza -Coppitz families(75).
There is also a small chapel next to the church (22): it is dedicated to the bishops of Treviso Federico Maria Zinelli and Giuseppe Apollonio.
Among the causes of death, when reported, there is certainly disease, particularly smallpox, cholera, pellagra, and tuberculosis.
But there is another key to understanding death that can be grasped through the tombstones: that of a Christian faith lived and transmitted by the priests of the community, securely gathered by the faithful.
On the tombstones, there are also listings of virtues and values that the deceased pursued in life and are indicated as examples for those who remain. Furthermore, there is a strong connection to life beyond death. Because death is ultimately just a passage that allows us to reunite with those who left us prematurely.
Another relevant aspect concerns the symbols present on the tombstones: the cross united with the olive branch, a sign of redemption and peace; the lit lamp, which invites vigilance; the alpha and omega, representing the beginning and the end; the hourglass with wings, enclosed between bars, reminding us of the volatility and tyranny of time; the tricorn hat, the cap of priests, and the stole to remember the dignity of the buried person. Finally, the uroboros, the serpent that bites its tail forming a circle, is a symbol of continuity.
All this information is contained in the book published by Editrice San Liberale, titled “The Tale of the Tombstones: Signs and Voices from the Past in the Ancient Cemetery of Santa Bona in Treviso” and encourages readers to visit other cemeteries, not only the monumental ones in Milan and Rome that contain the burials of illustrious people, but also those in our areas, where from the graves one can glean information about those who have passed away, the salient features of their lives, how much they were loved or the good they did.
In this historic moment, when most deceased individuals are cremated and their ashes are often scattered. This project and this book aimed to take on the challenge of re-evaluating this space of tombstones and what it represents: an invitation to meditation in silent prayer.
