San Pedro Cemetery Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
San Pedro Cemetery Museum

Museo Cementerio San Pedro

Chapel of the San Pedro Cemetery Museum in Medellín, designed by Agustín Goovaerts

The San Pedro Cemetery Museum is a special place in Medellín, Colombia. It is both a cemetery and a museum. It was built way back in 1842. Later, in 1998, it became a museum. In 1999, it was named a national monument of Colombia. This means it is a very important part of the city's history and culture. A group called the Foundation of San Pedro Cemetery takes care of it.

Many important people from Colombia's past are buried here. Their graves have beautiful monuments and sculptures. But this place is more than just a cemetery. It has become a cool spot for art. You can find local and national art collections here. On nights when the moon is full, they even have concerts, shows, storytelling, theater, and dance performances!

History of the San Pedro Cemetery Museum

The San Pedro Cemetery started in 1842. At that time, Medellín was a small town called La Candelaria. It had about 9,000 people. It had only been the capital of Antioquia for 16 years. This was a time of big changes for the town. More people moved there, and important businesses grew. There were also wars between political groups. People were exploring and settling new parts of western Colombia. Trade became stronger, and new industries began. Railroads were built, and boats started using the Magdalena River.

On July 8, 1842, a man named Pedro Uribe Restrepo had an idea. He gathered important families from the town. They all agreed that Medellín needed a new cemetery. The only one they had, San Lorenzo Cemetery, was too small. It couldn't serve all the families in Medellín anymore.

The families decided to buy land in an area called El Llano. It was a large piece of land. On September 30, 1842, they officially bought it. At first, the cemetery had different names. It was called the New Cemetery, or of Individuals, or of San Vicente of Paul. In 1871, its name changed to San Pedro Cemetery. Because rich and important families started it, people called it the "cemetery of the rich." They also called it the "white city." This was because many of the tombs and statues were made of white Carrara marble. Most of this marble came all the way from Pietrasanta, Italy.

As Medellín grew, the cemetery also needed to grow. More land was bought to make it bigger. The first new section was the San Lorenzo gallery. It was built on the southwest side of the main area. This design was then used for other parts of the cemetery. In the 1920s, more building projects began. A Belgian engineer and architect named Agustín Goovaerts designed the cemetery's chapel in 1925. He also created a monument for Camilo Restrepo in 1926.

Becoming a Museum

Between 1996 and 1997, people studied the cemetery. They found that many parts of it were getting old and damaged. They realized it needed protection. So, in 1997, they asked a group called Colcultura (now part of the Ministry of Culture) for help. They asked for the San Pedro Cemetery to be named a national monument of Colombia. This special title helps protect important historical places.

Famous People Buried Here

Many famous people from Colombia's history are buried at the San Pedro Cemetery Museum. Their tombs are often beautiful works of art. Some of these important figures include:

• Fidel Cano
• Mariano Ospina Rodríguez
• Pedro Nel Ospina
• Luciano Restrepo Escobar
• Pedro Justo Berrío
• Carlos Coriolano Amador
• José María Sierra
• Alejandro Ángel
• Efe Gómez
• Luis López de Mesa
• Félix de Bedout Moreno
• Manuel Uribe Ángel
• Pedro Estrado
• Luis Eduardo Yepes
• Jorge Isaacs
• Francisco Antonio Cano
• Marco Tobón Mejía
• Bernardo Vieco Ortiz
• Jorge Marín Vieco
• Pedro Nel Gómez
• Constantino Carvajal
• Rafael Sáenz

Images for kids

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  Mausoleum of Alejandro Ángel, an industrialist.

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  Mausoleum of Félix de Bedout Moreno, an industrialist.

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  Mausoleum of José María Sierra, a businessman.

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  Mausoleum of Pedro Justo Berrío, a governor of Antioquia and politician.

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  Mausoleum of Alejandro Echavarría Isaza, an industrialist.

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  Monument of José María Amador, a businessman.

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  Mausoleum of Jorge Isaacs, a Colombian novelist and poet.

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  Mausoleum of Pedro Nel Ospina, a President of Colombia.

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  Mausoleum of Carlos Eugenio Restrepo, a President of Colombia.

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  Mausoleum of German Saldarriaga del Valle, an industrialist.

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  Mausoleum of Bernardo Vieco Ortiz, a sculptor.

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  Mausoleum of Francisco Antonio Zea, a hero of independence.

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  Mausoleum of Mariano Ospina Rodríguez, a President of Colombia.

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  Mausoleum of Luis Eduardo Yepes, a businessman.

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  Mausoleum of Carlos Greiffenstein, an engineer and businessman.

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  Mausoleum of Manuel Uribe Ángel, a governor of Antioquia, doctor, and geographer.

See also

In Spanish: Cementerio Museo San Pedro para niños