San Michele Cemetery

Venice · Italy · Cemetery

Sister Vittoria told her fellow nuns her body would not be there when the grave was opened. The cypresses are said to whisper at night.

The whole island between Venice and Murano is a burial ground. In 1807 Napoleon designated San Cristoforo as the city's cemetery, and when it quickly proved too small the neighbouring island of San Michele was drawn in — its Camaldolese monastery had been suppressed by decree in 1810. The canal between the islands was filled and the two became one. Venetians say whispers can be heard among the cypresses at night. The story told most often concerns Sister Vittoria Grigoris of the convent of San Francesco della Vigna, who died in 1947 and told her fellow nuns on her deathbed that when her grave was one day opened her body would no longer be there. Around her lie Igor Stravinsky, Sergei Diaghilev and Ezra Pound in the Greek and Protestant sections.

FAQ

Where is San Michele Cemetery located?

San Michele Cemetery is in Venedig, Italy.

More haunted places in Venedig

Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.