Tomba di Eleonora Duse
The tomb is simple white stone, set low in the grass and enclosed by a box hedge, with a headstone that gives only her name and two dates. Eleonora Duse chose this herself — she asked to be buried facing Monte Grappa, in tribute to the soldiers who died there in the First World War. The cemetery at Sant'Anna is small and unhurried, beside the church where she used to pray, and a map at the entrance will walk you directly to her.
Freya Stark, the explorer and travel writer, lies nearby. The two women never met, but they share the same quiet hillside, and something about that adjacency feels right for a town that drew singular people and held them.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who come back tend to arrive in the morning, before the day warms, and stand quietly for a while without feeling the need to explain why. The walk down from the historic center takes about fifteen minutes and passes Casa dell'Arco — the red-and-white building with a plaque written by D'Annunzio — which gives the visit a natural beginning.
The story behind Tomba di Eleonora Duse
Eleonora Duse first came to Asolo in late 1892 as a guest of the American expatriate Katherine de Kay Bronson, and the town stayed with her. She returned in 1920, renting Casa dell'Arco until June of that year, and she made clear in writing that she wanted to be buried here when the time came.
She died of tuberculosis in Pittsburgh on 21 April 1924, while on a late-career American tour. The Italian government arranged for her body to travel home aboard the ship Duilio, and a special train carried her from Naples northward — crowds gathered at stations along the route. She was buried at the Cimitero di Sant'Anna on 12 May 1924, among the Asolans she had chosen as her neighbors.
Good to know
No entrance fee; the cemetery observes daylight hours, so a daytime visit is safest. A map at the gate marks Duse's tomb. Parking is available on weekdays nearby, and the site is an easy walk from Asolo's center. Budget fifteen to thirty minutes at the cemetery itself.
Asolo sits in the Veneto foothills with a temperate, Alpine-influenced climate. Spring and early autumn bring mild temperatures and clear views toward Monte Grappa; summer can be warm but the cemetery's shade and elevation keep it comfortable.
Where is Tomba di Eleonora Duse?
More tickets & tours for Tomba di Eleonora Duse
Book directly at the provider
What travellers say about Tomba di Eleonora Duse
A simple tomb, as she requested, facing the summit of Monte Grappa. The Divine of the theater chose Asolo as her resting place and burial place. We are in the monumental cemetery of Sant'Anna, adjacent to the Convent of the Capuchin Friars. At the entrance, there's a map that helps you navigate the different areas of the cemetery. The tomb is "hidden" by a box hedge, a simple headstone with a name and two dates. A bouquet of white roses and a few other flowers left by a visitor, nothing else... simple, as Eleonora was. Next to her, the traveler, topographer, writer, photographer... Madame Freya Stark, considered the founder of modern travel writing. In the Asolo museum, they both have their own dedicated section. PS: It's the centenary of Duse...
THE DIVINE, as Eleonora Duse was known, rests in the cemetery next to the church of Sant'Anna. As soon as you enter, there's a map indicating the exact spot, hidden by a box hedge, a simple gravestone with a name and two dates. A bouquet of white roses and a few other flowers left by a visitor, nothing else, not even a photo.
The most wonderful actress of all time, it's a powerful emotion to stand at her grave and think of her, who wanted to be buried facing Monte Grappa in memory of all our soldiers of World War I. A great woman, truly divine!
Eleonora Duse was a major figure in the Italian cultural scene. Standing before her incredibly simple tomb is a profound emotion.
If you think of D'Annunzio's tomb...seeing Eleonora in this tomb breaks your heart, but perhaps it is precisely this that will forever be Eleonora's strength, the simplicity of an immense life....
More of Asolo
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Asolo →More attractions in Asolo
All of Asolo →
Background adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · map data © OpenStreetMap contributors · ratings & place photos via Google · other photos with per-image credit. Ticket links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.