The Columbus Cemetery in Havana as you have never seen it

TheChristopher Columbus Necropolis is consideredNational Monument of Cuba since 1987. New technologies allow a view like never before of this impressive holy field.

The Facebook page Naturaleza Secreta, a Mundo Latino project, shared recent images taken with a drone that flew over the iconic cemetery of the Cuban capital.

“It is the largest cemetery in the country and the largest necropolis in America, with great cultural values due to the richness of its sculptures and architectural forms. The necropolis houses the remains of notable figures in the history of Cuba, among them Bishop Espada, the poet Julián del Casal and Generalísimo Máximo Gómez,” indicates the publication of Naturaleza Secreta.

In 1870 the architectCalixto Aureliano de Loira and Cardoso, a graduate of the Royal Academy of Noble Arts of San Fernando in Madrid, won the public competition called by the Board of Cemeteries in Havana for the construction of the Colón Cemetery, as it is popularly known.

The floor plan was divided into a large central cross that would cover the entire rectangle and 4 other smaller crosses in the spaces between the arms of the large central cross and the walls that limited the enclosure.

This is why the plan of the necropolis is made up offour large areas, which are called barracks. These barracks are designated according to the cardinal points: Northeast (N. E.), Northwest (N. W.), Southeast (S. E.) and Southwest (S. W.).

In turn, each barracks is divided into areas called squares and delimited by two large central avenues, 21 meters wide. One that runs from North to South and another from East to West. This grandiose urban funerary complex has arectangular area of 57 hectares.

Along its route the main avenues intersect perpendicularly and at this intersection is located theCentral Chapel,Conceived with an octagonal plan that makes it the work that marks the center of the cemetery.

In 1886 the Christopher Columbus Necropolis was opened to the public.. The passage of time forced small modifications to be made that improved funeral services. In January 1959 it was intervened by the Revolution and in 1967 it was nationalized.

The Colón Cemetery has around 52,360 properties, of which8,000 have Asset Protection Degrees I and II.

The main cover is the work ofarchitect Eugenio Rayneri. It was built between 1871 and 1874 in hewn stone. In 1899, the decorative complex received two high-reliefs of theCuban sculptor José Vilalta Saavedra, one represents the Resurrection of Lazarus and the other the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

The sculptural group that occupies the upper part is made up of three marble statues, which symbolize the Three Theological Virtues: Faith, Hope and Charity.

There are several famous tombs in the Colón Cemetery, one could mention that of Catalina Laza and Pedro Baró, the great lovers of Havana, that of personalities of Cuban culture such as Alejo Carpentier, or José Raúl Capablanca, among many others.

However, perhapsOne of the best-known tombs is that of Amelia Goyri de la Hoz, La Milagrosa, which is visited every year by hundreds of Cubans.