Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires (must see)

Recoleta Cemetery is one of Buenos Aires’ most iconic landmarks. Set across fourteen acres, it is often referred to as the “City of the Dead.” The cemetery was established in 1822 on land that had belonged to the Recollect Friars, whose order had built the nearby Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in the 18th century. That year, the former church garden was converted into the city’s first public cemetery, marking an important shift in Buenos Aires’ urban layout.

Rather than graves set into the ground, Recoleta is organized like a miniature city, complete with stone-paved streets, blocks, and small plazas. Over 4,600 graves fill the site, many of them elaborate marble mausoleums created by leading architects and sculptors. Neoclassical, Gothic, Art Deco, and Art Nouveau styles appear side by side, expressed through marble façades, stained-glass windows, bronze doors, and richly symbolic statues. Ninety-four of these tombs have been declared National Historic Monuments.

Two of the cemetery’s most talked-about monuments belong to Eva Perón and Rufina Cambaceres. Rufina, often remembered as “the girl who died twice,” was only nineteen when she was declared dead in 1902 and laid to rest in her family’s vault. According to the story that followed, sounds were later reported from inside the tomb, and she was subsequently believed to have been buried alive. The episode influenced later funerals in Buenos Aires, as bell mechanisms were reportedly installed in coffins to signal if someone regained consciousness.

Rufina’s tomb is the closest to the cemetery’s gates. After entering, take the first path to your right. You will see a white marble statue of a woman standing with her hand on a carved stone door handle. The intricate carvings of flowers and flowing lines make it one of the most artistic structures in the cemetery.

Another most visited site in the cemetery is the tomb of Argentina’s iconic former First Lady, Eva Perón. Despite the grandeur of neighbouring mausoleums, this vault is famous for its relative simplicity. To find it, from the main entrance, walk straight down the central wide path to the large cross at the centre. Turn left and walk two blocks, then turn right into the narrow alley labelled “Calle 4.” The vault lies halfway down this row on the left side. Look for the black granite façade and the bronze plaques, often covered with fresh flowers. You will almost always find flowers tucked into the door and a crowd gathered nearby.

Apart from these two, the cemetery is the final resting place of most Argentine presidents, along with writers, poets, and public figures such as Carlos Saavedra Lamas—the first Latin American recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.