Recoleta Cemetery

Recoleta Cemetery may be the most visited site in Buenos Aires.  If not the most popular, certainly one of the most.  "So, where did you visit??  We went to the cemetery." Definitely sounds a little weird, but it is quite a sight to behold.

The site of the cemetery was once the orchard of the Basilica Nuestra Señora del Pilar which is next door.  It became the city's first public cemetery in 1822.  It was designed by the same French engineer that also designed the Metropolitan Cathedral in Buenos Aires.  

Over 6,400 statues, sarcophagi, coffins, and crypts are located here.  All of the mausoleums are above ground in a variety of architectural styles including Art Deco, Art Nouveau, baroque, and Neo-gothic.  Most are marble, but there were some brick and one we saw built with stone.

Many famous Argentinians are buried here including former presidents and military heroes, but none more famous than Eva Peron --- Evita.  She is buried in the Duarte family crypt and not with her husband. While many of the mausoleums are grand in size and architecture, the Duarte crypt is much smaller on a side aisle and not in one of the more featured areas.

Eva Peron tomb

It is a beautiful resting place for the dead and a gorgeous, peaceful site for the living.  One that everyone should see when visiting Buenos Aires.