Santiago General Cemetery

What it is

The Santiago General Cemetery is one of the largest cemeteries in Latin America, with an estimated two million burials. It was established in 1821, shortly after Chile's independence, when Bernardo O'Higgins inaugurated the grounds and set aside a large area of land for its foundation. It lies in the municipality of Recoleta and today holds ornate mausoleums, gardens and sculptures, and is the burial place of many of Chile's presidents and other notable figures.

Why it matters

The cemetery reflects O'Higgins's reforms as head of state, including his push for public health measures and his disputes with the Catholic Church over the practice of burying the dead inside churches. Creating a lay, secular cemetery was part of building the institutions of the new independent Chilean state, separate from colonial-era church authority.

Look closer

• Why might a new government want to control where and how people were buried?
• What does founding a public cemetery tell you about conflicts between church and state after independence?
• How does this building's design (domes, arcades, statues) try to express national importance?