Recoleta Cemetery is one of the few essential tourist attractions in Buenos Aires in a city that is made for the meandering tourist.
The joy of this city is in wandering through the distinct neighborhoods, observing how the locals live their lives and discovering little undiscovered pockets of the city.
It’s not a city with a long list of must-see attractions that you need to tick off one by one.
The exception — the one spot you should visit no matter how short your stay — is the Recoleta Cemetery.
It’s a truly memorable experience and a profound representation of elegant and historical Buenos Aires.
The Cemetery’s Entrance
Located at the top of the hilly Plaza Francia, the cemetery gate is suitably grand with imposing large, white Greek pillars marking the entrance to the ‘City of the Dead’ with the appropriate solemnity.
This famous graveyard’s nickname conjures images of hordes of zombies stumbling around some kind of post-apocalyptic cityscape, which is not what you will find beyond the neo-classical gate.
The name refers to the way the cemetery is laid out – very much like a miniature city.
There are city blocks, stone streets, alleys and even little plazas.
In the Recoleta Cemetery, though, the ‘houses’ are in fact ornate mausoleums, whose the only residents do nothing but slumber in eternal sleep.
‘Requiescant in pace‘ (Rest in Peace) reads the top of portico.
Various symbols related to life and death include a wreath, which symbolizes permanent memories.
A snake biting its tail, representing the cycle of life, birth, and death.
The inverted torches, signifying the extinguishing of life’s flame. An hourglass symbolizes the passage of time and the inevitability of death.
When to go to Recoleta Cemetery?
The cemetery is open from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Go on a weekday when there are less people. Weekends and holidays draw crowds.
What is special about Recoleta Cemetery
Recoleta ‘streets’ are lined with elaborate mausoleums with religious iconography, many works of art, giving insight into Argentina’s past and the lives of those buried here. It s the permanent home to four Presidents of Argentina, Eva Perón, a Noble Prize winner and an infamous caudillo.
Is Recoleta Cemetery Free?
Since 2022 foreigners have to pay a $16 fee to enter the cemetery. You can buy tickets here but it’s easier in person with a debit or credit card. Free Tours are in Spanish but you can book a tour in English online.
The Beauty of a Graveyard
Rather than being overly macabre, the first thing you notice is the beauty of the tombs.
With over 6400 of them built in varying styles, they range from fairly plain, to intricately detailed, to powerfully imposing and spectacular.
Many are unquestionably works of art.
Bold crosses, cathedral-like domes and winged angels are the recurring adornments to these lavish resting places.
A feeling of wealth and power abounds; only the most influential Argentines earn themselves a ticket to the Recoleta Cemetery once they have shuffled off this mortal coil.
The names chiseled onto the vaults exude importance, even if you don’t know who most of them are.
Literary laureates, mythical sportsmen and artists rub stoney shoulders with presidents and other luminaries.
Often the tombs pertain to important families, and several family members occupy the same vault.
Sarmiento the president, Hernandez the writer and Firpo the boxer are all there. Eva Peron, in death, is still the people’s favorite, even if her tomb, when you eventually find it, is underwhelming.
This is the most expensive real estate in Buenos Aires, and space is at a premium. The mausoleums are tightly packed together, which often highlights the mishmash of stylistic differences from one vault to the next.
Until 1989, he was buried in the Old Cemetery in Southampton, England
History of Recoleta Cemetery
Until 1822, Buenos Aires residents who passed away were buried on church grounds.
After a while, this practice became problematic for reasons of space and hygiene.
Eventually, in November of that year, Governor Martin Rodriguez banned the traditional practice, and instituted the city’s first official cemetery on the grounds of a monastery of the adjoining Basílica Nuestra Señora del Pilar.
The layout of The Northern Cemetery, as it was then known, with its city-style blocks and central plaza, was designed by French engineer Próspero Catelin.
However the grounds fell into disrepair until, in 1881, then-Mayor Torcuato de Alvear decided to order a complete renovation, carried out by Italian architect Juan Antonio Burschiazzo.
It was then that the front gate was constructed, and improvements to the streets and the chapel were made.
The name was changed to its present one, Cementerio de la Recoleta (Recoleta Cemetery) in 1949.
Visiting the Cemetery & Free Tours
Today, the cemetery is kept in good repair, with street signs to help people find their way, and benches for them to rest on.
Tomb maintenance is the responsibility of ancestors of the deceased, which means you see the occasional shabby, forgotten crypt.
Peaking into such vaults through broken glass to see a coffin resting no more than a couple of feet away can be a pointed reminder that you are actually in a cemetery, and not some extravagant outdoor museum.
For tourists, the cemetery offers the chance to learn a little about Argentinian history, and also take some fantastic photos.
There are free tours in Spanish takes place at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Tuesday—Friday, and at 11:00a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
For foreigners there is a $16 fee to enter the cemetery.
You can buy tickets here, but it’s easier in person
For English-speakers, it’s well worth it to take a low-cost tour to hear some of the spooky stories and fascinating legacies of the people buried here.
If you can’t make it at that time, there is a numbered map at the entrance which shows the locations of dozens of important tombs.
There are also maps available for sale around the entrance.
If you have some knowledge of Argentinian historical figures, it’s worthwhile following the map to the mausoleums that you would like to see, otherwise you can just wander around and find things that interest you.
Don’t worry about getting lost, the cemetery is not so big that you won’t be able to find your way back to the central plaza or the front gate.
It is big enough, though, that you can spend several hours in there and still not see many of the interesting vaults; so repeat trips always result in new discoveries.
–by Dan Colasimone
Former Argentine Presidents in Recoleta Cemetery
Recoleta Cemetery is known for being the final resting place of many notable Argentine figures, including former presidents, leaders, and celebrities.
Bernardino Rivadavia
- 1st President of Argentina
- Term: 1826 – 1827
- Known For: The first President of Argentina, Rivadavia is known for his commitment to the development of science and education. He started the first National Library.
- He also faced off with caudillos across the country who fought against centralization.
- Burial: Rivadavia’s remains are buried in a grand mausoleum, designed by Rogelio Yrurtia, made from 1,600 blocks of German gray granite. It features a bronze figure representing the Republic.
Bartolomé Mitre
- 6th President of Argentina
- Term: 1862 – 1868
- Known For: Mitre played a significant role in the unification of Argentina. Known for his military leadership during the Argentine War of Independence, he later became the first president after the country. Known for contributions to literature and journalism, he started La Nación, one of Argentina’s top newspapers.
- Burial: Mitre’s impressive mausoleum features three life-size figures that represent Duty, Argentina & Justice with angles flying overhead.
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
- 7th President of Argentina
- Term: 1868 – 1874
- Known For: Sarmiento was born poor before becoming a self-made-man and rising to the Presidency. While not popular during his presidency due to the War with Paraguay and a Yellow Fever pandemic, he a key figure in promoting education and modernization in Argentina. He is best known for his massive efforts to establish a public education, opening 800 schools, improving telegraph, mail and train lines. and for his book ‘Facundo,’ which analyzed Argentine culture and politics.
- Burial: Sarmiento’s crypt, deigned by Italian sculptor Victor de Pol, is clearly Masonic (he was a member of The Grand Lodge). One bas-relief depicts Sarmiento reading to children with the words, ‘On ne tue point les idées‘ –‘one never kills ideas.’
- It is toped by an obelisk, with beautiful ironwork on the base and topped by a Condor, a vulture species native to the Andes mountains.
Raúl Alfonsín
- 49th President of Argentina
- Term: 1983 – 1989
- Known For: Alfonsín was the first democratically elected president after the military dictatorship. He is recognized for restoring democracy in Argentina, establishing human rights trials.
- Burial: Alfonsín’s hard-to-find burial site feature modern, austere marble figurehead.of him.
Other Notable Figures at Recoleta Cemetery
Eva Perón (Evita)
Known for: The former First Lady of Argentina, who left a legacy of helping the poor and creating a political legacy that lives on. Evita’s remains were missing for 22 years and traveled around the world before she was finally laid to rest for good here in 1974.
Burial: Argentina’s beloved Evita is buried in a heavily fortified crypt in the underwhelming Duarte family vault. When Juan Perón died in 1974, his second wife, Isabel arranged for her remains to be repatriated from Spain.
Fresh flowers left by admirers almost daily leaves no doubt about her legacy.
Juan D. Manual de Rosas
14th & 17th Governor of Buenos Aires
Terms: 1829—1832. 1835—1852,
Known for: Argentina’s most famous caudiillo, who was dominant in Argentine politics during the 19th century. He was during which his secret military police force terrorized those who wanted to unify the provinces. He did increase cattle production and bring more economic stability.
Burial: Rosas’ is one of the newest tombs in Recoleta Cemetery, even though he died in 1877. After being overthrown in 1852, Rosas fled to England, where he lived in exile until death.
Carlos Saavedra Lamas: The first Latin American to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, in 1936. Known for his work in international diplomacy, particularly ending the Chaco War, he also received the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor, France’s highest honor of merit.
Burial: Lamas’ imposing classical tomb is fitting for as Argentine early 20th century aristocrat
Luis Angel Firpo: Argentine boxer, known as ‘The Wild Bull of the Pampas.’ In 1923 he was the first Latin American to compete for the world heavyweight title. A painting of his fall from a knockout punch appears in the movie ‘Goodfellas.’
Burial: Firpo’s 1960 mausoleum is unremarkable aside from a life-size figure of him.
Hilario Ascasubi: A poet and writer, known for his contributions to Argentine gauchesca literature. A mortal enemy of Rosas (above), he served two years in prison for writing a satire novel about him.
He spent his entire fortune building the first Teatro Colón.
Burial: His burial place features the only bronze tree stump statue in the cemetery.
His tomb features his bust, while the now discolored plaque names some of his most famous works on the left side of the tomb, while his military actions are named on the right.
→ Read the ghost story behind the beautiful tomb of Rufina Cambeceres
→ Check out our city tours that include Recoleta cemetery or book a two-hour Recoleta tour online now.
Recoleta Cemetery
Calle Junín 1790 (Plaza Francia)
Recoleta
Hours: Daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tel: (54) 11 4804-7040 or (54) 11 7803-1594
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