Havana – The Colon Necropolis

A fitting post this Easter week-end.

Every time I passed this immense cemetery during my earlier Havana trips I was intrigued and wanted to spend a few hours visiting it.

It always looked to me more attractive, open-aired and less narrow and claustrophobic than the Recoleta cemetery in Buenos Aires that I have visited a few times.

This time I decided to visit it and, learning that an old friend from the cigar industry, Sr. Miguel Brown, former director of H.Upmann and El Laguito was now in charge of the necropolis as a sub-director, made the visit even more attractive.

I met up with him in his office and arranged the visit.

On the day of my visit I had the pleasant privilege of not only being welcomed by Miguel but to have him and a professional guide lead me through the fascinating necropolis and show and explain its main tombs and architectural features.

I will certainly return for a longer tour of the more far corners of this impressive historical place.

Here some details about the necropolis :

It covers 56 ha with 222 blocks, 24,5 km of avenues and streets and 35.000 square metres of tree and green areas.

The average yearly foreign visitors number ca. 160.000.

The name Cristobal Colon was proposed in 1854 as it was then thought that the remains of the Admiral wer4e buried in the Cathedral of Havana after being returned from Santo Domingo.

The foundation date is Oct. 30-th 1871.

It was declared a National monument in 1987.

The document archive is specially important having a treasure of documents and more than 720 burial and protocol books preserved since 1868.

Highly recommended visit for a half day.

Nino