The city government of Buenos Aires decided to spend some cash to improve the changing rooms & the personnel restrooms. I’m sure employees will welcome the improved facilities, but the public restrooms should be the next priority given their current run-down state.
According to the sign, the contract was granted on November 22, 2007 & the 3-month project began on December 3rd. Total cost: over $105,000 pesos or a little more than U$S 33,000… a minimal investment.
Leave a CommentSince the purpose of family vaults was to house multiple generations, underground storage became a necessity. So how deep do vaults go? Several meters, sometimes with more space below than there is above.
If the mausoleum occupies a wide enough lot, there will be a staircase which leads down to lower levels of storage. Narrow lots may not have room for a staircase, but remove the metal grate & ladders accomplish the same goal. It makes for a tight fit in some cases:
Although this skinny, narrow mausoleum doesn’t stand out, an urban legend lurks inside. Peek through the door to find the sculpture of David Alleno—caretaker in Recoleta Cemetery from 1881 to 1910.
Like the caretakers of today, David had a certain sector which he maintained & apparently became obsessed over where his final resting place would be. Members of the Alleno family claim that David’s brother, Juan, had already purchased this plot for his family… perhaps that inspired David to be buried in Recoleta Cemetery as well. After saving over a lifetime, he was able to have a sculpture made of himself at work, complete with keys, broom & watering can:
Urban legend claims that when the sculpture arrived from Italy & was placed in the tomb, David was so eager to complete the project that he went home & committed suicide… knowing that he would soon rest in peace here. Whether the motive is true or not, David Alleno is now locked in with the elite residents of Recoleta Cemetery:
Update (07 Nov 2010): Thanks to an investigation by Guada Aballe, we know a few more facts about the life of David Alleno… & she found photos too! One of the best resources for early 20th century Buenos Aires history is Caras & Caretas, a local magazine with political & social commentary. In the 10 Apr 1909 edition, Recoleta Cemetery workers were concerned about a change in administration. Various caretakers were photographed & David Alleno appeared in the article:
David Alleno spent 28 years working at Recoleta Cemetery & according to his death certificate—also amazingly uncovered by Guada—he passed away on 31 Aug 1915. The cause of death is listed as “trauma & cerebral contusion.” Of course whether or not the head injury was self-inflicted does not appear on the death certificate. But we’re one step closer to uncovering the truth behind the urban legend. Thanks, Guada!!
15 CommentsA few months later in November 2003, the hand-drawn map had been replaced with a more professional version. 89 locations (4 more than the first map) were marked to visit:
By either being lucky or a regular enough visitor, one day I was given a free handout which was a tri-fold reproduction of the map at the entrance gate:
Initially pleased at having a free guide to the cemetery, the design was remarkably amateur… for example, the map had been scanned at a very low resolution & enlarged. Pixels were glaringly obvious & angles were badly rendered. Note that there are two sets of three photos each on the map. The two sets are exactly the same. Could they not come up with six original photos for the brochure?
Design issues aside, the map turned out to be less than useful. In the pic below, what spot does #31 belong to? On the map it overlaps three squares, but in reality some of those blocks are subdivided. It took a bit of work to use the free handout:
A brief history was poorly translated on the back of the pamphlet. Read for yourself:
Don’t get me wrong… I’m not trying to slam the city government’s efforts. The problem is that at the same time they were producing wonderfully designed brochures to promote other areas of development within the city. Cutting-edge design & attention to detail was what I’d come to expect. So for the most-visited tourist site in Buenos Aires, I expected something much better than what was produced.
Only a few months before this map was issued, I began my walking tours in Buenos Aires. One of the walks offered was of the Recoleta neighborhood, & we ended with a quick stroll through the cemetery. I wasn’t sure if the tours would be successful, but I was certain that Recoleta Cemetery could be better promoted.
Read the complete story in the following posts titled “map development”: Part 1, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 & Part 7. Good news! The PDF guidebook is now available.
Leave a CommentIf you notice scaffolding surrounding a tomb or mausoleum in Recoleta Cemetery, don’t worry. It’s not a demolition project.
I plan on donating 10% of map profits to the Asociación Amigos del Cementerio de Recoleta in order to help a good cause. Since 2002, the Friends’ Association has coordinated the restoration of the tombs of historically important figures. Most sculptures & monuments are generally around 100 years old so pollution, climate change, & invasion by plants & microorganisms can do a lot of damage over time. Also, plots are normally purchased for eternity so if a family leaves Argentina, has no descendants, moves their family to another cemetery, or does not pay the monthly maintenance fee, the mausoleum slowly decays over time.
From stop #6 in our PDF guide, three completed restoration projects can be seen. The first is a General José María Pirán whose bust decorates his vault:
The large, unfinished column houses the remains of the adopted son of one of Argentina’s most beloved presidents, Domingo Faustino Sarmiento. His son, Dominguito, was buried here after being killed in the war with Paraguay:
An obelisk crowned with an angel is popularly known as the Cenotaph of the Three Friends. A cenotaph means that this is just a memorial & no remains are buried here. Evidently these three were such good friends that their loved ones wanted to remember them as a trio. You can see a plaque as well as a symbol of what each man did as you walk around. Alberto Viola was a prolific writer & politician (with books). Adolfo Mitre was son of President Bartolomé Mitre & a poet (hence the lyre). Benigno Lugones was a writer for La Nación newspaper (which is his symbol). Oddly enough all three died within a year of each other:
In the long run, ADACRE never responded to my offer of donating 10% of map profits. Basically I put that cash into maintaining this blog, but it would have been nice to make a contribution.
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