Liliana, Elisa, and the Wild Bull of the Pampas: A Visit to Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Dear International Living Reader,

During the recent travel writer’s workshop in Buenos Aires, I took a break from teaching duties to explore Recoleta neighborhood’s "City of Angels." As regular readers know, I’ve long had a passion for poking around ossuaries, catacombs, and graveyards.

Since 1822, Recoleta has housed the remains of around 5,000 of Argentina’s elite. Guarded by angels and cherubs, its narrow pathways lead you into a small town of lavishly-constructed marble mausoleums. Greek-style, Gothic-style, even Egyptian-style: these mausoleums resemble miniature houses. Usually containing underground crypts, many have grated bars which provide glimpses of solid caskets adorned with silver handles. Visions of creaking lids and vampires spring to mind very easily.

Owls...sun symbols? Some tombs have an almost pagan feel. And cats--dozens of them--lie atop tombs like gate-keepers. Rather unnervingly, some mausoleums have door-knockers. It makes you wonder if their occupants expect guests to come calling.

The most famous resident is Evita--Eva Peron, interred in the Duarte family tomb. Most tourists head here, a whistle-stop visit to pose for photos or hang a rose from the mausoleum’s grille. But take the time to wander Recoleta’s pathways and you’ll discover other intriguing stories.

For example, statues of a slender girl and a dog mark the tomb of Liliana Crociati. Aged 26, she was killed by an avalanche on her honeymoon in Austria. A poem in Italian written by her father begins Perche? (Why?) According to the inscription, the dog was called Sabu. He was Liliana’s faithful companion.

Seventeen-year-old Elisa Brown also has a tragic tale to tell. The daughter of Admiral William Brown (an Irishman and founder of the Argentine Navy), she may have accidentally drowned in the Riachuelo River in 1827. However, that was the family’s version of events. Others say she chose to commit suicide after her fiancé died in battle.

Outside one mausoleum is a statue of a man wearing what appears to be a dressing gown. Not so odd when you realize this is the tomb of boxer Luis Angel Firpo, nicknamed "The Wild Bull of the Pampas." Although he lost the bout, he had the distinction of being the first boxer to knock down Jack Dempsey, sending him crashing through the ropes. This fight for the World Heavyweight Title took place in 1923 at New York’s Polo Grounds.

Steenie Harvey
For International Living

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