<p> Aldo Rossi was obsessed with the schéma of cube, according to Lobsinger (2002), from Resistance Monument in Cuneo (1962, collaborated with Gianugo Polesello and Luca Meda), via Modena Cemetery (New San Catardo Cemetery in Modena, 1971-1980s), to Teatre del Monde (1979-1980).</p><p> The study detects the origin of architectural design process of schéma of the cube in Modena Cemetery designed by Aldo Rossi. Considering the cube as “sanctuary” in the text titled “L’azzurro del cielo” (1971) directly named after the novel “Le Bleu du Ciel” written by Georges Bataille, the cube was realized in 1980s and rendered as ossuaries. Interestingly, Rossi kept the schéma of cube with square windows aligned in the grid, before the announcement of the competition of “Modena Cemetery” in May 1971.</p><p> In Section 1, it deals Rossi’s self-analysis with drawing in the seventh volume of I quaderni azzurri (The Blue Notebooks, the reprinted diaries of Rossi, “QA07 ” as below). Judged from QA07, the architect developed the process after the self-analysis on architectural forms by drawings. In June 1971, Rossi had reckoned inner experience of the architectural elements titled “elementi dell’ architettura analitica (elements of analytic architecture)”, before designing for the competition. He exercised inner experience of the image elements, which he put importance for the design. Then he found the element of the cone, and rendered it into geometrical compositions of caffeterie [coffee pot], which was associated with his Catholic childhood in the village Somasca.</p><p> In “elementi dell’ architettura analitica”, Rossi did not refer to the element of the cube. However, he had drawn two cubes holed with square-windows in December 1969 and February 1970.</p><p> Section 2 shows that, Rossi drew the cube with the square windows named “il cubo scavato” in QA04. On 12 February 1970, recalling Tomb of Eurysaces the Baker, Rossi associated the cube with excavated windows with former works of him, such as Monument in Cuneo and Fountain in Milan (1962).</p><p> Moreover, the presage of that cube was also found in QA02. On 1 December 1969, Rossi drew the cube which resembled Monument in Cuneo synthesized with square windows of Gallaratese Housing Block. The two architectures seemed to be synthesized into the cube with courtyard open to the sky, and the schéma of cube remained from 1969 to the realized cemetery.</p><p> In Section 3, it deals “L’azzuro del cielo”, where Rossi explained the cube and cone as dominant elements in the whole project. According to The Architecture of the City, Rossi explained that the holy place for Catholic had been associated with “locus”, which consists the collective memory for the people. Considering his Marxist position as architect and Catholic education in his childhood, Rossi regarded the dead as “class”, opposite to the “living” class. The inner experience of the protagonist of the novel of Bataille visioned “the blue of the sky” in the night, was rendered to the inner experience of Rossi with drawing in QA.</p><p> In that meaning, the cube excavated to the sky had correspondence with the title “L’azzuro del cielo”. Through the courtyard of the cube open to the sky, the dead surrounded living people with surrealistic presence. With the primarily geometrical forms, he tried to mediate the class struggle between the dead and the living people.</p>