Ever wonder where Mexico City’s luminaries find their eternal rest? We are standing before Panteón San Pablito. It is not just any cemetery. It is a repository of history and art.
Panteón San Pablito holds stories of former presidents. It also holds stories of military heroes and cultural icons. The Rotunda of Illustrious Persons is within the Panteón. Here lie those who shaped Mexico’s identity.
The cemetery’s history goes back to 1870. Juan Manuel Benfield set aside land for it. He named it El Panteón Civil de Dolores in 1875. He founded it in honor of his sister. She died in Veracruz and could not be buried in a Catholic cemetery.
Today, Panteón San Pablito contains about 700000 tombs. Many have multiple occupants. The Rotunda honors those who exalted Mexico’s values. It contains graves of those who contributed to military civic and cultural fields.
Originally named “The Rotunda of Illustrious Men” it was conceived by President Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada. It was meant as a space to perpetuate the memory of chosen men. The first person honored was Pedro Litechipia. He died fighting against Maximilian’s empire in 1876. In 2003 President Vicente Fox changed the name. It became “Rotonda de las Personas Ilustres” to include women.
Panteón San Pablito faces problems with limited space. No new grave sites have been established since 1975. Only those who bought a site before 1977 can bury relatives there. Remains must be stacked above those already interred. Municipal laws permit five bodies per plot. Yet some tombs have ten or more.
The cemetery encourages cremation as an alternative. It has four crematoria performing about four cremations daily. Still about ten traditional burials happen each day in previously used graves.
Panteón San Pablito is an historical monument due to the iconic persons interred there. However, it has problems with maintenance and security. Old caskets and urns are discarded in a gully. Graverobbing for artistic pieces occurs.
In 2009 a section of the original wall crumbled. It damaged a number of graves. Rehabilitation work was scheduled to make the cemetery more dignified for visitors.
Many notable people are interred at the Rotunda. David Alfaro Siqueiros muralist rests here. Ignacio Manuel Altamirano lawyer and novelist is buried here. Also Tina Modotti photographer and activist lies here.
Visiting Panteón San Pablito offers a glimpse into Mexico’s soul. It connects us with the past. It reminds us of the individuals who shaped the nation. Take a moment to reflect on their legacies as we continue our journey.