Colon Cementery Havana Cuba

The Colon Cementery, with nearly two million graves is one of the largest graveyards in the world and located in the Vedado district, Havana. The cementery was designed in 1886 and named for Christopher Columbus. The Necrópolis de Cólon was declared National Monument of Cuba and has over 500 mausoleums, chapels and statues.

The bodies of the US soldiers who died in the sinking of the USS battleship Maine were interred in the Cementery Colon, but later brought back to the United States and buried at Arlington National Cementery.
Many famous Cubans and Cuban personalities were buried at Cementery Colon, among them: Alberto Korda, photographer and maker of the well known Che Guevara picture, Ibrahim Ferrer and Ruben Gonzales, members of the Buena Vista Social Club, the parents of José Marti, novelist Alejo Carpentier and a host of writers, poets, baseball players and military heroes.

The cementery itself stretch out over more than five square kilometre and consists of many "avenues" following a grid pattern.
Remarkable is the grave of "La Milagrosa"(the miracle) Amelia Goyri de la Hoz, who died in childbirth and who was buried with her child. According to the legend when her body was exhumed later, she was found bearing the child in her arms. The story spread and "La Milagrosa" was attributed with healing powers.
Cuban superstition say that after visiting the grave and making your wish, you never may leave while turning your back to the grave.

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