Eritrea: Asmara – Asmara Italian Cemetery

Anywhere you turn in Asmara – it’s Italian heritage, dating back to the Italian colonial period when Eritrea was under Italian rule from 1890 until World War II. The cemetery aka Cimitero Italiano Di Asmara is a surprisingly well preserved complex of gravesites from early 20th century, the graves are often marked by well-preserved headstones, marble crosses, and statues, many inscribed in Italian. The cemetery is divided into sections, with graves of soldiers who fought in the wars of the time, as well as Italian civilians, engineers, and administrators who contributed to the development of Eritrea during the colonial period. One particularly notable feature is the section dedicated to Italian soldiers who died during World War II, especially during the East African Campaign when Allied forces fought against the Italian army in Eritrea and Ethiopia. There are also section with Eritrean graves as well.