{"id":4093,"date":"2025-05-27T07:15:42","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T11:15:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/?p=4093"},"modified":"2025-06-03T10:31:23","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T14:31:23","slug":"colon-cemetery-an-open-air-museum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/colon-cemetery-an-open-air-museum-27052025\/","title":{"rendered":"Col\u00f3n Cemetery: An Open-Air Museum"},"content":{"rendered":"

On May 27, 1987, the Crist\u00f3bal Col\u00f3n Cemetery was declared a national monument. Regarded as the crown jewel of Cuban cemeteries, it holds significant heritage and cultural value both regionally and globally. Its origins date back to 1854 when plans were initiated to construct a new cemetery to accommodate the growing demand, as Espada Cemetery had reached full capacity.<\/p>\n

The project was officially authorized on July 28, 1866, by Royal Decree, and construction began on October 30, 1871. This event was marked by the symbolic placement of the first stone and a blessing ceremony led by Benigno Merino, the ecclesiastical governor of Havana. Initially overseen by architect Calixto de Loira, the project was later taken over by Eugenio Raynieri y Sorrentino following Loira\u2019s sudden death.<\/p>\n

Construction of the cemetery was completed on July 2, 1886, although restoration and maintenance continued in various sections. Researcher Enrique Mart\u00ednez notes in his book Cuba, Architecture and Urbanism, \u201cIt was the most remarkable religious structure built in the city during the 19th century.\u201d<\/p>\n

Writer, journalist, and researcher Ciro Bianchi emphasizes the cemetery’s significance, stating, \u201cThe Col\u00f3n Necropolis stands out for its grandeur and presents a monumental appearance from every angle. Its artistic and architectural value makes it the most extensive and distinguished showcase of funerary art on the island. In terms of importance, it ranks third among the world’s great cemeteries.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Photo: Cuba S\u00ed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Among the cemetery’s most notable structures are the Main Gate and the Central Chapel. The entrance gate, built in the Romanesque style, features three theological virtues added as sculptures by Jos\u00e9 Vilalta de Saavedra in the 20th century. Regarding the architectural inspiration, Loira remarked:<\/p>\n

\u201cGiven the Christian nature of the planned construction, among all available styles, the most suitable was Romanesque-Byzantine, due to its severe yet solemn character, simplicity in decoration, and the solidity of its form.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Central Chapel consists of three concentric octagons. The inner octagon, measuring 10 meters wide, features tall arches supported by pillars and is topped with an octagonal dome reminiscent of a cloister corner. Architect Joaqu\u00edn E. Weiss describes the design:<\/p>\n

\u201cThis structure is encircled by a two-story gallery, which, in turn, is bordered by a portal with three openings on each side. At the front, the portal incorporates a rectangular vestibule that transitions into an octagonal tower on the upper floor, serving as a counterbalance to the dome. The Romanesque elements in the chapel harmonize with those of the gateway, yet in terms of architectural merit, the chapel is visibly inferior to the entrance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spanning a vast area, Col\u00f3n Cemetery is an invaluable heritage site, showcasing nearly all architectural styles with over 56,000 mausoleums, ossuaries, chapels, galleries, and pantheons. Some tombs are associated with myths and folklore, featuring simple terrazzo vaults, while others are majestic and reflect the colonial mansions of their owners. The most elaborate monuments are located in the First-Class Monument Zone, near the northern entrance of Col\u00f3n Avenue.<\/p>\n

Among the cemetery\u2019s most renowned landmarks are the Chapel of the Count of Rivero, the Firefighters\u2019 Pantheon, the Chapel of Pedro Bar\u00f3 and Catalina Lasa, the Pantheon of Marta Abreu, the Tomb of La Milagrosa (the resting place of Amelia Goyri and her husband, Jos\u00e9 Vicente Adot), the Prelates\u2019 Pantheon (final resting place of Bishop Espada and other clergy members), and the Franchi-Alfaro Family Chapel, inspired by the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus.<\/p>\n

Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez<\/p>\n

Photo: Biblioteca Nacional de Cuba Jos\u00e9 Mart\u00ed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On May 27, 1987, the Crist\u00f3bal Col\u00f3n Cemetery was declared a national monument.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4094,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[935],"ppma_author":[14],"class_list":["post-4093","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-specials","tag-colon-cemetery"],"authors":[{"term_id":14,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"lazaro-hernandez-rey","display_name":"L\u00e1zaro Hern\u00e1ndez Rey","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g","0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4093","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4093"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4093\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4097,"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4093\/revisions\/4097"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4094"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4093"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4093"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4093"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=4093"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}