The Central Cemetery (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

: ''Cementerio central'') of Barrio Sur,

Montevideo Montevideo (, ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2023 census, the city proper has a population of 1,302,954 (about 37.2% of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...

, is one of the main

cemeteries A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many dead people are buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ) implies th ...

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

. It also ranks amongst the most popular in the country, given that most famous Uruguayan people are buried there. It is located in the southern area of the city and it was founded in 1835. The entrance, designed and built up after the

Uruguayan Civil War The Uruguayan Civil War, also known in Spanish as the ''Guerra Grande'' ("Great War"), was a series of armed conflicts between the leaders of Uruguayan independence. While officially the war lasted from 1839 until 1851, it was a part of armed ...

(1839–1852), is the work of the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

sculptor Bernardo Poncini.Michelena, Alejandro. ''Cementerio Central. La historia entre lápidas''
The cemetery was originally placed far away from the city, mainly because of the persistent risk of an

epidemic An epidemic (from Greek ἐπί ''epi'' "upon or above" and δῆμος ''demos'' "people") is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of hosts in a given population within a short period of time. For example, in meningococcal infection ...

. However, with the fast development and growth of Montevideo throughout the 20th century, the Central Cemetery is now surrounded by the metropolis. It became quite popular after 1858.''El Cementerio Central de Montevideo: un tesoro artístico a descubrir''
It was one of the first cemeteries in the country at a time when burials were still carried out by the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. Some works and statues made by

José Belloni José Belloni (September 12, 1882 – November 28, 1965) was a Uruguayan sculptor of the Realist school. Biography José Belloni was born in Montevideo, in 1882; his father was Swiss from Ticino, and his mother Basque from Spain. His family r ...

and José Luis Zorrilla de San Martín can be found in the cemetery.

Notable interments

Among those interred there are:''El Cementerio Central, un tesoro ignorado y secreto''
* Eduardo Acevedo *

Mario Benedetti Mario Benedetti Farrugia (; 14 September 1920 – 17 May 2009), was a Uruguayan journalist, novelist, and poet and an integral member of the Generación del 45. Despite publishing more than 80 books and being published in twenty languages, he ...

Delmira Agustini Delmira Agustini (October 24, 1886 – July 6, 1914) was a Uruguayan poet of the early 20th century. Biography Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, she began writing when she was ten and had her first book of poems published when she was still a teenag ...

Jorge Batlle Jorge Luis Batlle Ibáñez (; ''Batlle'' locally or ; 25 October 1927 – 24 October 2016) was a Uruguayan politician and lawyer, who served as the 38th president of Uruguay from 2000 to 2005. A member of the Colorado Party (Uruguay), Colorado ...

Luis Batlle Berres Luis Conrado Batlle y Berres (26 November 1897 – 15 July 1964) was a Uruguayan politician who was President of Uruguay from 1947 to 1951. Background Batlle Berres was a journalist and prominent member of the Uruguayan Colorado Party. He was ...

José Batlle y Ordóñez José Pablo Torcuato Batlle y Ordóñez ( or ; 23 May 1856 – 20 October 1929), nicknamed ''Don Pepe'', was a prominent Uruguayan politician who served two terms as President of Uruguay for the Colorado Party. The son of a former president, ...

Juan Manuel Blanes Juan Manuel Blanes (June 8, 1830 – April 15, 1901) was a Uruguayan painter of the Realism (art), Realist school. Life and work Blanes was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1830. He was raised by his mother, with whom he relocated to the countrys ...

Zelmar Michelini Zelmar Raúl Michelini Guarch (20 May 1924 – 20 May 1976) was a Uruguayan reporter and politician, assassinated in Buenos Aires in 1976 as part of Operation Condor. Career Zelmar Michelini was member of the Chamber of Deputies from 1954 to 195 ...

Luis Alberto de Herrera Luis Alberto de Herrera (Montevideo, 22 July 1873 – 8 April 1959) was a Uruguayan lawyer, diplomat, journalist and politician. Political and diplomatic roles A national leader of great importance during the first half of the 20th century, he ...

Benito Nardone Benito Nardone Cetrulo (November 22, 1906 – March 25, 1964) was a Uruguayan journalist and political figure. Biography Nardone was born at Montevideo, the son of an Italian immigrant. For many years he was a popular radio commentator at CX 4 ...

José Enrique Rodó José Enrique Camilo Rodó Piñeyro (15 July 1871 – 1 May 1917) was a Uruguayan essayist. He cultivated an epistolary relationship with important Hispanic thinkers of that time, Leopoldo Alas (Clarín) in Spain, José de la Riva-Agüero in ...

* Juan Zorrilla de San Martín

References

External links

Central Cemetery
– data

{{Authority control 1835 establishments in Uruguay Barrio Sur, Montevideo Burials at the Central Cemetery of Montevideo Cemeteries in Montevideo Cemeteries established in the 1830s National Historic Monuments of Uruguay