Dei Sepolcri

"Dei Sepolcri" ("Sepulchres") is a poem written by the Italian poet, Ugo Foscolo, in 1806, and published in 1807.

The carme (as the author defined it) is dedicated to another poet, Ippolito Pindemonte, with whom Foscolo had been discussing the recent Napoleonic law regarding tombs.

The idea behind the poem can be traced to 1804, when the Napoleonic edict of Saint-Cloud was issued.

Even so, Foscolo was critical of the decree, mostly for civic reasons; he acknowledges that human beings aspire to transcend death.

Tombs, monuments for fallen heroes and virtuous men from the past, may inspire those living today, including artists and poets.