Mausoleo Vivarelli

I don’t know if this building even needs a description.

From the picture, it’s pretty clear just how beautiful and unusual it is.

However, it is a mausoleum, and while suggesting someone visit the final resting place of a complete stranger may sound a little macabre, I’m willing to risk being branded improper.It’s just so beautiful.

According to local records, the mausoleum is the last resting place of Jader Vivarelli – a leading figure in Talamone in the early 20^th century.

The mausoleum itself was designed by architect Lorenzo Grosseto Porciatti and built in 1905, just in time to bury Vivarelli.

Today, the building is a work of great vision, if not unusual taste. It’s a symbol of Porciatti’s famous artistic eclecticism.

Its slightly oriental-meets-Neo-Romanesque vibe stands out like a glittering crown among the rest of the cemetery’s traditional decor.

The exterior is exquisitely carved from rainbow-specked travertine and topped by a dome of crushed brick. The wrought-iron railings add a touch of Art Nouveau to the mix. They’re embellished with scrolls and hearts.

The entire cemetery is elegant and old, and the cypress trees that line the path to the mausoleum provide the perfect shade.

I’m not saying spend an afternoon here, but do try to get up close to this mausoleum, if only to admire the incredible mastery of the architecture.