Cementerio de la Recoleta
Table of contents:
- History
- Videos
- Photos
- Famous and notable people
- Location and Maps of the tombs
- Eva Peron tomb
- 10 Most important tombs
Recoleta Cemetery (Cementerio de la Recoleta) is often listed as one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world. After spending an afternoon wandering through the cobblestone streets lined with tombs I would have to agree. Recoleta Cemetery is located in the prestigious neighborhood of Recoleta, in the city of Buenos Aires. In the early eighteenth century Monks of The Order of the Recoletos arrived in this area. The cemetery originally started as their holy grounds, however when the Order disbanded in 1822, the convent gardens were converted into Buenos Aires´s first public cemetery. Buried here is a who’s who of notable Argentinians from politicians (including 26 Argentine presidents) to Nobel Prize winners, and of course Argentina’s beloved Eva Peron.
The cemetery has over 6,400 mausoleums and is a crash course of architectural style through the ages. Beautiful examples of Neoclassical, Neo Gothic, Art Nuevo and Art Deco can all be found here. With marble statues and decorative iron gates this city of the dead is full of breathtaking art. Some of the mausoleums are relatively new, modern even, while others show their age in dust and disrepair. Peeking inside the crypts was an unusual experience. You are faced with dusty, wooden coffins, carved marble coffins, shrines to the dead, relics, photos and flowers. All are evidence and a life, clues to who is buried there and who was left behind. I felt as if I were inside history when I stepped inside Recoleta Cemetery.
Of course no cemetery would be complete without a ghost story or two and Recoleta Cemetery is no exception. There are many stories of hauntings and curious happenings here. One of tales that resonated with me the most was the tragic story of 19-year-old Rufina Cambecéres, who was a socialite and the only daughter of a famous Argentine writer, died suddenly in 1902. It was raining on the day her casket arrived at Recoleta so it was left in the Chapel overnight. Legend has it that a cemetery worker noticed the casket lid had been shifted, and since Rufina was from a wealthy family, they thought someone might be after her valuables and have robbed the grave. However, when her casket was opened and closely examined, the truth was much worse. None of her jewelry was missing but instead, they found scratch marks on her and all over the inside of the casket: she had been mistakenly presumed dead and was buried alive! Later thought that she had collapsed from an attack of cataplexy, which caused several doctors to believe that she was dead. When she woke up and found herself sealed in a casket, the fright, the terror and the failed attempt of escape eventually gave her a heart attack which became the real cause of her unfortunate death.
To this day, no one knows for sure if that was really what truly happened but it is no doubt one of the most known urban legends of Recoleta Cemetery. The tomb of Rufina is is not easy to miss because it is one of the most beautiful ones in the “City of the Dead”. You will be greeted by a life-sized statue of her guarding her resting place. When peer in, you will see her beautifully-carved marble coffin inside.
Also Read: Famous Buenos Aires Ghost Story
The cemetery is open every day from 8 am – 6 pm, free entry. Maps are available for purchase, though not necessary, I would recommend grabbing one if you want to find someone in particular. There are also free tours available. You will learn many stories like Rufina’s from the hour-long guided tour: Spanish tours – Tuesday to Friday at 11am; weekends and public holidays at 11am and 3pm. English tours are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11am. Whenever you go, also keep your eyes on the lookout for the cutest and fluffiest “residents” of Recoleta Cemetery — the many cemetery cats.3
Recoleta Cemetery Photos
Entrance to the cemetery.
Notable and Famous People Buried in La Recoleta Cemetery (Wikipedia)
Birth | Death | Personality | Notes | Ref(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1914 | 1999 | ![]() |
Adolfo Bioy Casares | Fiction writer, journalist, translator, and Miguel de Cervantes Prize recipient. | [18][19] |
1876 | 1943 | ![]() |
Agustín Pedro Justo | President of Argentina. | [20] |
1921 | 2012 | ![]() |
Amalia Lacroze de Fortabat | Businesswoman and philanthropist. | [21] |
1805 | 1871 | ![]() |
Anthony Dominic Fahy | Catholic priest, missionary and head of the Irish community in Argentina (1844–1871) | [18] |
1914 | 1981 | ![]() |
Armando Bó | Actor, film director, and screenwriter. | [18] |
1900 | 1983 | ![]() |
Arturo Umberto Illia | President of Argentina. | [20][22][23] |
1821 | 1906 | ![]() |
Bartolomé Mitre | President of Argentina. | [20][24][25] |
1840 | 1902 | ![]() |
Cándido López | Soldier, painter, and student of Italian artist Baldassare Verazzi. | [26] |
1827 | 1918 | ![]() |
Carlos Guido y Spano | Poet. | [27] |
1789 | 1852 | ![]() |
Carlos María de Alvear | Soldier, statesman, and Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata. | [28] |
1846 | 1906 | ![]() |
Carlos Pellegrini | President of Argentina. | [20][29] |
1878 | 1959 | ![]() |
Carlos Saavedra Lamas | Academic, politician, and the first Latin American Nobel Peace Prize recipient. | [18] |
1759 | 1829 | ![]() |
Cornelio Saavedra | President of the First Assembly and military officer. | [30][31] |
1758 | 1820 | ![]() |
Cosme Argerich | Military physician. | [32] |
1800 | 1875 | Dalmacio Vélez Sársfield | Lawyer, politician, and writer of the Civil Code of Argentina. | [31] | |
1811 | 1888 | ![]() |
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento | President of Argentina. | [20][27][33] |
1896 | 1956 | ![]() |
Eduardo Lonardi | President of Argentina. | [34] |
1903 | 1982 | ![]() |
Eduardo Mallea | Essayist, cultural critic, writer, and diplomat. | [35] |
1844 | 1913 | Eduardo Wilde | Physician, politician, and writer. | [36] | |
1875 | 1951 | Elpidio González | Politician and Vice President of Argentina. | [37] | |
1919 | 1952 | ![]() |
Eva Perón | First Lady of Argentina and founder of the Eva Perón Foundation. | [18][33][38] |
1788 | 1835 | Facundo Quiroga | Caudillo and subject of the book Facundo, Domingo Faustino Sarmiento‘s most prominent work. | [39][40][41] | |
1785 | 1827 | ![]() |
Federico de Brandsen | French-born Colonel. | [42] |
1835 | 1899 | ![]() |
Federico Lacroze | Businessman and railway entrepreneur. | [43] |
1795 | 1871 | ![]() |
Francisco Javier Muñiz | Argentine physician, naturalist and politician | [18] |
1821 | 1890 | ![]() |
Guillermo Rawson | Physician and politician of American descent. | [44] |
1852 | 1933 | ![]() |
Hipólito Yrigoyen | President of Argentina. | [20][22][23] |
1847 | 1847 | — | Isabelle Colonna-Walewski | Daughter of Count Alexandre Colonna-Walewski and grandchild of Napoleon. | [45][46] |
1842 | 1912 | ![]() |
José Clemente Paz | Statesman, diplomat, and journalist. | [17][47] |
1860 | 1931 | ![]() |
José Figueroa Alcorta | President of Argentina. | [20] |
1834 | 1886 | ![]() |
José Hernández | Journalist, politician, poet, and creator of Argentina’s national epic, the Martín Fierro. | [18][48] |
1910 | 1975 | José María Guido | President of Argentina. | [20] | |
1758 | 1833 | ![]() |
Juan José Paso | Politician and member of the First Assembly, the First Triumvirate, and the Second Triumvirate. | [49] |
1797 | 1841 | ![]() |
Juan Lavalle | General and Governor of Buenos Aires Province. | [40][50] |
1793 | 1877 | ![]() |
Juan Manuel de Rosas | Brigadier and Governor of Buenos Aires Province. Initially buried at Southampton Old Cemetery in the United Kingdom, repatriated in 1989. | [24][33][51] |
1843 | 1914 | ![]() |
Julio Argentino Roca | President of Argentina. | [20][52] |
1841 | 1896 | ![]() |
Leandro Nicéforo Alem | Politician. | [22][23][37] |
1874 | 1938 | ![]() |
Leopoldo Lugones | Writer and journalist. | [19] |
1831 | 1913 | ![]() |
Lucio Victorio Mansilla | General, writer, journalist, politician, and diplomat. | [27] |
1894 | 1960 | ![]() |
Luis Ángel Firpo | Professional boxer and the first Latin American to challenge for the world heavyweight champion title. | [18][48] |
1906 | 1987 | ![]() |
Luis Federico Leloir | Biochemist, physician, and the first Spanish-speaking Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate. | [18][40][53] |
1838 | 1907 | ![]() |
Luis María Campos | General and founder of the Escuela Superior de Guerra (Superior School of War). | [47][54] |
1822 | 1907 | ![]() |
Luis Sáenz Peña | President of Argentina. | [20] |
1791 | 1871 | ![]() |
Luis Vernet | German-born merchant of Huguenot descent and the first Argentine appointed as Governor of Puerto Luis (nowadays the Falkland Islands). | [55] |
1787 | 1828 | ![]() |
Manuel Dorrego | Military officer and Governor of Buenos Aires Province. Mausoleum designed by Carlo Zucchi. | [40] |
1835 | 1906 | ![]() |
Manuel Quintana | President of Argentina. | [20] |
1868 | 1942 | Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear | President of Argentina. | [20] | |
1887 | 1970 | ![]() |
Mariette Lydis | Austrian-born painter and illustrator. | [35] |
1786 | 1868 | ![]() |
Mariquita Sánchez de Thompson | Patriot. | [33][56] |
1922 | 1991 | Martín Karadagian | Actor, professional wrestler, and Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame inductee. | [18] | |
1851 | 1905 | ![]() |
Miguel Cané | Writer, lawyer, academic, journalist, and politician. | [48] |
1754 | 1833 | ![]() |
Miguel de Azcuénaga | General, politician, and member of the First Assembly. | [57] |
1783 | 1849 | ![]() |
Miguel Estanislao Soler | General and politician. | [58] |
1837 | 1885 | ![]() |
Nicolás Avellaneda | President of Argentina. | [20][24] |
1891 | 1967 | ![]() |
Oliverio Girondo | Poet. | [18][19][59] |
1859 | 1936 | ![]() |
Pablo Ricchieri | Military officer and Minister of War. | [60] |
1848 | 1929 | Paul Groussac | French-born writer, literary critic, historian, and librarian. | [18] | |
1903 | 1970 | ![]() |
Pedro Eugenio Aramburu | President of Argentina. | [61] |
1927 | 2009 | ![]() |
Raúl Alfonsín | President of Argentina. | [20][22][23] |
1926 | 2016 | ![]() |
María Lorenza Barreneche | First Lady of Argentina. Widow of Raúl Alfonsín. | [62][63] |
1797 | 1823 | ![]() |
Remedios de Escalada | Wife of libertador José de San Martín. | [33] |
1851 | 1914 | ![]() |
Roque Sáenz Peña | President of Argentina. | [20] |
1903 | 1993 | Silvina Ocampo | Poet, translator, and writer. | [18] | |
1802 | 1869 | ![]() |
Valentín Alsina | Governor of Buenos Aires Province. | [31] |
1785 | 1856 | ![]() |
Vicente López y Planes | Poet, politician, and creator of the lyrics of the Argentine National Anthem. | [64] |
1890 | 1979 | ![]() |
Victoria Ocampo | Writer, intellectual, and the first woman admitted to the Argentine Academy of Letters. | [18][48] |
1840 | 1919 | Victorino de la Plaza | President of Argentina. | [20] | |
1777 | 1857 | ![]() |
William Brown | Irish-born Admiral and founder of the Argentine Navy. | [65][66] |
1856 | 1902 | ![]() |
Zenón Rolón | Musician and composer. | [67] |
1920 | 1999 | ![]() |
Zully Moreno | Actress. | [18] |
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