“Lost City” is how some describe a section of the Cemitário de São João Batista. But today our story focuses on the cemetery itself. Comunidade São João Batista offers a serene escape in bustling Rio de Janeiro. It is more than just a resting place. It is a testament to Brazilian culture and artistry.
Founded in 1851 it officially opened in 1852. The oldest grave dates back to 1858. However ossuaries hold remains from previous years. The Holy House of Mercy of Rio de Janeiro manages the cemetery. It also manages other cemeteries in the state.
The cemetery has expanded several times. Expansions occurred in 1859, 1873, 1903, and 1939. Despite being overcrowded it holds tombs of great beauty. It attracts tourists and is a focus for humanities and arts studies.
St. John the Baptist Cemetery is in the Botafogo neighborhood. It borders Rua Dona Mariana on the east. The cemetery covers 38000 square meters. It contains about 40000 tombs. Its occupation began in the backyard. The most representative tombs are on the central axis. They also lie on two blocks to the right and two to the left.
The cemetery was built by the Holy House of Mercy. This was two decades after building the St. Francis Xavier Cemetery. It aligns with the Catholic practice of overcrowding tombs. Special locations mark tombs from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Many famous people committed to Brazilian history are buried here. Singers Carmen Miranda, Cazuza, and Clara Nunes rest here. Politicians include Luis Carlos Prestes and Presidents Floriano Peixoto and Afonso Pena. Notable writers such as Machado de Assis and Nelson Rodrigues are also interred.
The portal features fluminense granite blocks. The Holy House of Mercy coat-of-arms tops it. A monumental wrought iron railing is another distinguishing element. Chapel-tombs belong to bourgeois families. Portuguese, Italian, and Brazilian marble carvers constructed them. They drew inspiration from early 20th-century hybrid styles.
Artists like Rodolpho Bernadelli and Heitor Usai created funerary sculptures here. French sculptors Jean Magrou and Colin George also contributed. Their styles include Neoclassical, Neogothic, and Art Nouveau.
The Cemitário de São João Batista became the first cemetery in Latin America featured in Google Street View. This happened on October 5, 2015. It remains the only cemetery in the city’s south area.
As you leave the Cemitário de São João Batista consider its significance. It is not the noblest cemetery in Rio. However it is the most representative of the Republic’s early period. Wealthy families moved from the North to the South Zone then.