Pianto Romano, Military cemetery in Calatafimi-Segesta, Italy
Pianto Romano is a military cemetery on a hilltop near Calatafimi-Segesta, in western Sicily. The grounds hold a neoclassical mausoleum topped by a central obelisk, along with memorial stones and an ossuary that contains the remains of soldiers from the 1860 Battle of Calatafimi.
The site marks the Battle of Calatafimi, fought in May 1860 between Garibaldi's volunteer forces and the Bourbon army during the campaign that led to Italian unification. The memorial was inaugurated in 1892, designed by architect Ernesto Basile.
The name Pianto Romano translates roughly as "Roman weeping," a reference to mourning the fallen. Visitors walking through the grounds today can see memorials dedicated to soldiers from both sides of the conflict, placed side by side without distinction.
The cemetery sits on a hill southwest of Calatafimi's town center and is clearly signposted from the main road. A short walk around the grounds is enough to see all the memorials, so a visit works well at any time of day.
The ossuary holds the remains of soldiers from both opposing sides buried together, which was highly unusual for the period. This makes Pianto Romano one of the few sites from the Risorgimento era where former enemies share the same ground in death.
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