Cementerio General de Santiago
 Sculptures at the entrance of the Cementerio General de Santiago |
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| Details | |
|---|---|
| Year established | 1820 |
| Location | Commune of Recoleta, Santiago |
| Country | Chile |
| Size | 85 hectares (210 acres) |
| Number of interments | nearly 2 million |
The Cementerio General de Santiago, Chile is one of the largest cemeteries in Latin America with an estimated 2 million burials.The cemetery was established in 1820 after Chile's independence when Bernardo O'Higgins inaugurated the Alameda de las Delicias along the old course of the Mapocho River. O'Higgins set aside more than 85 hectares of land for the foundation of what became a magnificent grounds filled with ornate mausoleums surrounded by palm and leaf trees set amidst lush gardens and numerous sculptures.
This cemetery is the final resting place for all but two of the deceased Presidents of Chile, the exceptions being Gabriel González Videla and Bernado O'Higgins. One of the most visited memorials is that of former President Salvador Allende who had been buried in the Santa Ines cemetery at Viña del Mar following his suicide in the 1973 coup d'état. With the democratic changes that began in the 1990s, Allende was exhumed and his remains were transported in a solemn procession through the streets of Santiago to a place of honor in the Cementerio General de Santiago. The cemetery also has a memorial to the people that were 'disappeared' during the regime of Augusto Pinochet that ousted President Allende.
Notable interments[edit]
- Salvador Allende (1908-1973), President of Chile
- Arturo Alessandri (1868-1950), Head of Chile
- Jaime Guzmán (1946-1991), Senator.
- Víctor Jara (1932-1973), poet, folk singer
- Orlando Letelier (1932-1976), statesman
- Eduardo Frei Montalva (1911-1982), President of Chile
- Violeta Parra (1917-1967), folk singer
- Miguel Enríquez Espinosa (1944-1974), General Secretary of the Revolutionary Left Movement
- Eduardo Alquinta (1945-2003), Musician, leader of the Chilean band Los Jaivas.
- Max Westenhofer (1871-1957), German scientist and professor of pathology at the University of Berlin and the University of Chile.
Coordinates: 33°24′53.74″S 70°38′57.20″W / 33.4149278°S 70.6492222°W
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