The Cristóbal Colón Cemetery (span.: Cementerio de Cristóbal Colón) in
Havana, Cuba, is one of the most significant cemeteries in Latin America
– both historically and architecturally.
Cristóbal Colón Cemetery, Havana (Cuba) – In Another Minute (317)
The Cristóbal Colón Cemetery in the Vedado neighborhood was built in
1876 and designed by the Galician architect Calixto Arellano de Loira y
Cardoso. He died during the initial construction and was the first to be
buried at the cemetery. The graveyard was named after Christopher
Columbus (span.: Cristóbal Colón), who landed in Cuba on October 28,
1492.
Today, the site spans 140 acres (57 ha) and holds 800,000
graves and 1 million interments – many of them in the 500 major
mausoleums, chapels, and family vaults.
To me the most visually
striking aspect of the site are all the beautiful statues, combining
elegance with grief and hope. These are common to many larger Christian
cemeteries, of course. More unusual and just as impressive
Unfortunately,
I didn’t have much time to explore this city of the dead because I had a
husband and Classic Car Taxi driver waiting for me outside. So in this
video I can only show you impressions from the areas close to the
entrance.
The cemetery is divided into quarters by major avenues.
And those sections are divided again by the status and professions of
the deceased. From what I understand some tombstones and buildings are
in disarray – but I didn’t get to see anything like that during my short
visit. Knowing that many Cubans and their off-spring live in exile, it
saddens me to think of how many people are not able to visit and
maintain the memorials of their family and ancestors.
Music: On the Shore Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
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| Cristóbal Colón Cemetery, Havana (Cuba) |
Soon I will publish more photos of Cristóbal Colón Cemetery on my personal blog and on Flickr.
Other videos from my Cuba trip in April:
Trinidad de Cuba (Cuba) – In Another Minute (Week 313)
Trinidad de Cuba (extended version)
Malecón (Havana, Cuba) – In Another Minute (Week 316)
La Habana Vieja, Old Havana (Havana, Cuba) – In Another Minute (314)