Visiting a cemetery may not be the first thing that springs to mind when you think of exploring a city for the first time, but Recoleta Cemetery is different from most.
Considered one of the world’s most beautiful cemeteries, 2nd only to Père Lechaise in Paris, Recoleta Cemetery is filled with fascinating stories from bygone years and unforgettable architecture and art, deservedly placing it on the top of any Buenos Aires itinerary.
The final resting place of Eva Perón and many of Argentina’s wealthiest and most famous families, you can see this reflected in the size and ornate construction of the tombs.
From the outside, the grand entrance through large, neo-classical gates and tall Greek columns set the tone for the elaborate features that await inside.
The entire cemetery is laid out in tree-lined avenues branching into sidewalks filled with mausoleums. It can be tricky trying to find specific tombs, but don’t worry, it’s not large enough to get lost in like Père Lechaise, and there’s a map at the cemetery entrance if needed.
The site contains many marble mausoleums, decorated with statues, in a wide variety of architectural styles. The sculptural elements at every turn feel like you’ve entered an open-air museum, with no expense being spared to honour the dead.
Special tombs to look out for
Cemeteries can be thought of as a collection book of memories, telling the stories of those who are laid to rest. There are fascinating tales belonging to the people buried in Rocoleta Cemetery, and here are the ones which captured my imagination…
Liliana Crociati de Szaszak
Perhaps the most striking tomb located in Rocoleta Cemetery is that of poor Liliana who met a tragic end while honeymooning in the Alps when an avalanche unexpectedly killed her and her new husband. Her parents, Italian immigrants to Argentina, were grief-stricken and saw to it that their daughter would have a beautiful resting place for her to be remembered.
Liliana’s grave is said to have been modelled on her childhood room and is unusually made entirely out of wood and glass. There’s a statue of her standing outside of the tomb, where she is accompanied by her faithful dog Sabú and beneath is a plaque containing a poem in Italian written by her father.
Rufina Cambaceres
Born in 1883, daughter of accomplished Argentine author Eugene Cambaceres, Rufina grew up in comfort and wealth but her demise is a tale of horror and regret. At 19-years-old Rufina collapsed to the floor without gaining consciousness. Rumour says she collapsed after receiving the news that her own mother was having an affair with her fiancé but we’ll never know if there’s any truth to this. Believed to be in a coma she was buried at Recoleta but shortly after grave-workers noticed that the lid to her crypt had been broken in places, and when they investigated they saw evidence that she had unsuccessfully tried to claw her way out. After the horror of realising she has been buried alive, her tomb was rebuild in stunning Art Nouveau glory, complete with sculpted flowers.
Eva Perón
No one goes to Recoleta cemetery without paying homage to Eva Perón, affectionally known as Evita, the First Lady of Argentina.
By Recoleta standards, however, it is quite nondescript which makes it quite hard to find down a narrow sideway among the other 4500 vaults. But when you do manage to find it, roses usually decorate her resting place, left by those who recognise her fight for women’s suffrage and improving the lives of the poor.
Three years after former First Lady Perón died of cancer in 1952, her body was removed by the Argentine military in the wake of a coup that deposed her husband, President Juan Perón. The body then went on a transatlantic odyssey for nearly twenty years before finally being returned to the Duarte family mausoleum in Recoleta Cemetery. She now lies in a crypt five meters underground, heavily fortified to ensure that no one can disturb the remains of Argentina’s most beloved and controversial First Lady.
Address: Junín 1760, Buenos Aires, 1113, Argentina
Website: www.cementeriorecoleta.com.ar
