After a long time without major artistic additions, a new statue dazzles visitors to Recoleta Cemetery and has become a magnet for photographers. But unfortunately, a sad story accompanies the beautiful monument of a girl on roller skates.
Julieta was a young skater from Buenos Aires who spent time training at the GEBA (Gimnasia y Esgrima de Buenos Aires) and River Plate clubs. On 26 July 2018, two days before her 20th birthday, she died a sudden death… the exact cause has yet to be revealed by the family.
Initially buried in Chacarita Cemetery, a few months later in October 2018 Julieta was transferred to Recoleta Cemetery to a family vault in Section 6. The monument was inaugurated in April 2024, a 1.7 meter sculpture by the artist Jorge Luis Bianchi. Active since the 1980s, Bianchi is responsible for many works of art in Argentina including the provincial coats-of-arms that decorate a fence surrounding the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires:
The GEBA club said goodbye to the young woman on 27 July 2018 with the following statement on Facebook:
“We regret to communicate the sad news of the death of Julieta Estévez, a skater for the River Plate Club who was also a GEBA skater. A girl full of life, projects, dreams and above all an excellent daughter, friend, partner and person. Our sincere condolences are with her family and friends at this painful moment, accompanying us with our prayers to ask for her eternal rest.
We will remember you forever Juli…❤”.
Marcelo thanks María Laje and Susana Gesualdi for information included in this post. Added to the Recoleta Cemetery map & guide in Jul 2024!
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