Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
grave that General San Martín designed him-
self.
La Recoleta Cemetery is a world unto itself - a
world of the dead. The people interred in these
vaults of neoclassic splendor were the best and
brightest or the wealthiest in the land. Recoleta
was the elite place to be laid to rest in this coun-
try that reveres the dead to a near-fervent
degree.
Seventy of these
mausoleums
have been
declared
national monu-
ments.
The tall twisted trees that lend their shape to
the sleeping citizens of Recoleta Cemetery are
ancient magnolias over a century old.
Tip
Try to find a groundskeeper and ask
him where the most notable persons
are entombed. He will be happy to lead
you to all the most interesting final
resting places.
Eva Duarte Perón is to be found here in the
Duarte mausoleum, which is actually one of the
most modest in the entire cemetery. Evita's
vault is usually well-attended, with visitors
leaving behind bunches of roses and lilies at the
foot of the tomb. Flowers are woven into the
wrought iron doors of many of the flagrantly
grandiose tombs, some of which bear framed
faded photographs of the deceased. Evita's
tomb bears a plaque which proclaims her as
“the champion of the working classes.”
You'll find it virtually impossible to fully appre-
ciate the artistry represented in this place - it's
