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‘Desperate’ fans to pay homage to Rossetti
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The gravestone in Birchington
The grave of one of the art world’s most colourful characters in the unlikely setting of a Birchington graveyard looks set to experience an upsurge in visitors.

The interest has been sparked by new BBC Two show Desperate Romantics, which in part charts the life and times of the painter, poet, illustrator, translator and ladies’ man Dante Gabrielle Rossetti.

He would take holidays in the village to deal with his addiction to chlorum and to escape the hubbub of London life.

The now-demolished Rossetti bungalow was named after him and he has long been associated with the village.

He was buried in the grounds of All Saints Church in 1882 as he did not want to be buried next to his wife and true-love Lizzie Saddal, who committed suicide years earlier by an overdose of laudanum, an opium tincture.

He fell in love with her after she modelled for him and they were married in 1860, but following the birth of a stillborn child she ended up committing suicide, aged 33, in 1862.

The dashing and charismatic Rossetti is played by Aidan Turner in the costume drama, which began in late June.

It shows the libertine and free-spirited artist, who was a founding member of the influential Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, struggle with his work as the urge to entertain the opposite sex proves too tempting.

The epitaph on his grave in the churchyard reads: “Here sleeps Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti, honoured under the name of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, among painters as a painter, and among poets as a poet, born in London, of parentage mainly Italian 12 May 1828, died at Birchington 9 April 1882”.

It is marked by a large memorial Celtic cross designed by Ford Maddox Brown and which was commissioned by his sister and fellow poet Christina Rossetti.

Birchington villager Bernard La Roche has been working on a book about the village and included chapters on Rossetti.

He said: “People come from all over the world to visit the grave and lay flowers and I expect more of them will be doing so now.”

A Rossetti fan said:" Rossetti is very popular around the world and a lot of Japanese people come to see the grave.

“He had a sensational lifestyle, a bit like Byron. I’m sure there will be a lot more coming now.”

To find out more about Rossetti and his links with Birchington, you can visit the Birchington Heritage Trust Museum in The Centre, Birchington, open Mondays to Saturdays 9.30am to midday.
POSTED: 11/08/2009 17:37:10

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Added: Saturday 22/08/2009 12:06:19 UK
It has never been fully proved that Lizzie Siddal took her own life.She loved Gabriel Rossetti deeply but their relationship was complex and troubled as is seen in her poems.Lizzie was addicted to laudanum but the overdose may have been accidental due to her state of mind.She was an amazing tragic woman.
Pamela Morgan, Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Added: Wednesday 12/08/2009 11:00:27 UK
You spell Rossetti's name inconsistently. It is with double s, not single, soplease check your tryping! Rossetti actually cam to Birchington for the first time when he was gravely ill and died her after a couple of months or so - he didn't come to the village for holidays and would have had some difficulty doing so as the railway hadn't reached the village before 1863. Please try harder next time.
Nick, Birchington, Kent
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