Recoleta: the Cemetery of Horrific Legends

  Recoleta in Argentine is one of the most famous cemeteries in the world because of its beauty and history.

The necropolis is like a small town with laid out streets, flower beds, benches and, of course, vaults like homes.

Long time ago an orchard was located in this place, but in 1822 people began to bury noblemen here: the rich, influential, famous, and also culture, science, and eminent political figures.

New tombs appear even nowadays, though inhabitants of Buenos Aires joke that it is cheaper to live luxuriously in the capital than to lie in the Recoleta cemetery.

Generally here are only very old family vaults. Inside them visitors can see pictures, bibles, crucifixes, apparently, everything here was done for relatives who could come and remember their kin and pray for them.

Although corners of the cemetery are well looked after and there are a lot of workers, opening mausoleums and making here some kind of work, many vaults are destroyed and it is obvious that nobody came there for a long time.

Almost all tombs are closed for locks: it is impossible to go inside, but you can at least peep something.

Many vaults have some kind of a "home" atmosphere: embroidered napkins, flowers, figurines, some tombs even have curtains.

The architecture has different styles. You can meet here a lot of goths taking pictures in their lovely "interiors".

At the cemetery entrance there are people who collect money from tourists. These are voluntary donations, in fact, the admission is free. However tourists who do not know about this believe that this is an entrance fee.

At the entrance visitors can take a map of the cemetery. Too many people want to visit here Eva Peron, but without a map it is hard to find it. The family vault where Evita lies is very modest.

The cemetery has its own mysterious stories and, of course, ghosts what walk here at night.

The first story is about an Italian immigrant David Alleno. He worked as a night watchman and wanted to be buried in this prestigious cemetery. Finally, he saved up enough money to buy a place and build a mausoleum for himself. And when everything was ready he committed suicide in his grave.

Rumors tell that he often visits the cemetery at night, and visitors can hear him jingling his keys and passing through narrow streets.

The second story is about a nineteen years old girl Rufina. She suffered from epilepsy. One day she fell into a coma and relatives decided that she had died, and carried her into a family vault. At night the girl came to consciousness, but she could not open a door.

Guards heard knocks and shouts, but they were afraid to open the vault. When relatives came to visit the tomb, they discovered a dead body on steps of the vault. Rufina died of a heart attack. After that near the doors, a monument was erected where the deceased stands with one foot on a threshold of the tomb and accusingly looks at passersby.

The distance between vault becomes smaller and smaller while going further away from gates of the cemetery.

Buenos Aires is a city of dogs, they are many of them, there are special nurses for dogs who are walking whole dog packs, while their masters work. There is a sort of kindergarten for dogs: in the morning owners give their pets, and take them in the evening. And Recoleta is a city of cats.

Moreover there are a lot of cats, they are all different, there are pure-bred ones, but all of them are big and fattened.


via dyaster