Recoleta Cemetery
The Recoleta Cemetery is located in the exclusive Recoleta neighborhood, which owes its name to the former convent of the Recoletos monks, to which the neighboring Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar also belonged (the cemetery was built on the monks' former orchard). It is the most visited cemetery in the city, due to its numerous and imposing mausoleums and vaults belonging to many of the leading figures in Argentine history, such as Eva Perón (Evita), one of the most frequented tombs. It is also worth visiting for its architectural value, as it is a testament to the times when the country was an emerging economic power and the city's leading families competed to build magnificent pantheons. Many of the vaults and mausoleums are the work of important architects and are adorned with marble and sculptures; more than 90 vaults have been declared National Historic Monuments. It was built in 1822 as the city's first public cemetery, and its layout is the work of the French engineer Prosper Catelin. Later, towards the end of the 19th century, when wealthier families began moving to this area of the city, it became their preferred burial ground. Among the notable figures buried in La Recoleta Cemetery are political leaders, presidents of Argentina, writers, Nobel laureates, athletes, and businesspeople.
Interesting facts
The Recoleta Cemetery holds many curious stories within its mausoleums. Like that of Liliana Crociati, who died during her honeymoon. Her parents built her a vault recreating her bedroom and placed a sculpture of her at the entrance, wearing the wedding dress she was buried in, accompanied by her inseparable dog. Or the story of David Alleno, a cemetery caretaker, who saved his entire life to build his own tomb there. Learn also the story of the Lady in White .
