Lombardy is a densely populated area in North Italy with about 10 million inhabitants. On February 16, 2020, a 38 year old Italian man went to the hospital of Codogno, a small town not far from Milano, reporting respiratory problems: this was the first case of COVID-19 registered in Italy.
On March 8, Lombardy was put under lockdown, which did not prevent a first, devastating wave of cases. In those months, my city, Milano, was filled with a deep sense of community, quarantined people were chanting together “don’t give up” from their balconies to lift their spirits as the pandemic was growing. COVID-19 cases started to decline in May 2020. The government allowed for freedom of movement and launched botched plans to rescue the Italian economy. Meanwhile, throughout all summer and later in autumn, the authorities completely missed their opportunity to convey appropriate messages to raise awareness and promote responsible behaviors. As a result, at the end of September 2020 the virus regained strength.
This was the start of the second wave. For many an unavoidable event, perhaps ignoring that beyond the so-called “western democracies,” the evolution of the spread had followed a totally different path. As of December 20, 2020, at the time of my writing this, the death toll of Lombardy has reached 24,622 fatalities.
On October 25, as the pandemic was creeping back, I gathered my camera and went to the Monumentale Cemetery of Milan. I had been in that place several times, I knew it was a site filled with beauty and I wanted to experience that beauty amidst this special time. My experience on that very day was extraordinary, I was literally blown away by the poignant sense of humanity that people at the cemetery had been able to convey to me.
Ever since then, I’ve returned any time I could, to live new experiences and enjoy fortuitous encounters. This gallery contains some of the photographs I’ve taken in those intense moments of real life.
“Guided Tour” – October 25, 2020 – Milan Monumentale Cemetery is a place of art that, in normal times, hosts daily tours of its beautiful buildings and sculptures. On October 25 in a Milan that is fallen back in the grip of the virus, a group of tourists is still able to follow a guided tour. 
“Misty Morning” – October 31, 2020 – During the “second wave”, the Monumentale cemetery has always remained open, even though under restrictive access rules. Early in the morning, two elderly pay a visit to the tomb of a relative. 
“The Two Girls” – October 31, 2020 – “I perceived a creeping sense of fear and uncertainty in their gestures”, says Marco Campi, “unusual in girls of their age”. 
“Let Me Make You Pretty” – November 02, 2020 – On November 2, the tombstones dedicated to the new meritorious inscribed in the Famedio are revealed during a solemn ceremony. Behind the scenes, two lady officers in full uniform make themselves ready for the big moment. 
“Temperature Check” – November 02, 2020 – Officers check the temperature of invited people at the entrance of the Famedio, where the “meritorious ceremony” is about to start. 
“Much Room for Nothing” – November 07, 2020- As new coronavirus cases started soaring in late October, a new emergency decree was issued on November 3 by prime minister Giuseppe Conte putting Lombardy under “red zone” lockdown. “The square in front of the Monumentale Cemetery was completely deserted that morning”, says Marco Campi, “while the ghostly space had become the new abode of a homeless old lady”. 
“Nemesis” – November 14, 2020 – “The horror of the Medusa seemed to embody a sense of predestination” explains Marco Campi “which offered no consolation”. 
“Avenue of Sunset” – November 21, 2020 – No one is left but an old lady and a facial mask. 
“Smoking Trees” – December 13, 2020 – It’s early morning in a sunny day of December. The trees smoke, late souls floating in the air.
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