The cemetery from Havana city is featured by its majesty and it shows its monumental image from any of its angles. Moreover, it is regarded as the widest and most important exhibition of the funerary art in Cuba and the third in importance in the world by the experts.
On November 1870, the local cemetery board, which was created since 1866, agreed to open a public contest for the construction of the Cristóbal Colón Cemetery to which were presented up to seven projects.
On July 17th, 1871, the winner was the architect Calixto García Aureliano de Loira y Cardoso, who was had graduated from the then Nobles Artes (Noble Arts, literally) Royal Academy from San Fernando de Madrid region. His project were entitled ´ Pallidamors aequo pulsatpede tabernas pauperumregnum que turres´ (The pale death enters in both huts and king´s palaces, literally).
On October 30th, along with the laying of the foundation stone, the works for the building of the Colón Cemetery were officially inaugurated in Cuba and the related works began on November 22nd of that same year.
After 15 years of work, the construction works of its main sections were finished in November 1886. It was then announced on the local gazette from 6th through 8th of that same month that it was opened to the public.
The definitive work of its fabulous facade was made by the architect Eugenio Rayneri. It was built between 1871 and 1874 and it is made of stone facades and it is 34.40 meters and it is 2.50 meters wide, besides, it is 21.66 meters height until its top.
In addition, its main gate is 5.00 meters wide and 1 meter the side doors and all of them have iron locks, besides, a wonderful decorative collection, which includes symbols and allegories taken from different cultures. There were two figures in relief by the Cuban sculptor José Vilalta Saavedra in March 1899.
There are also a sculptural collection on the highest section of the splendid façade and it is formed by thee statues made of marble which symbolize the three theological virtues: Faith, Hope and Charity, along with the following inscription on its base: JANUA SUM PACIS, which means ´I am the Door of Peace´ in Latin. Those artistic pieces were made in Italy. They were brought from Genoa to Cuba on July 5th, 1899.
A three meter high wall, which was made of masonry, demarcates the Colón Cemetery. There are three columns that are separated by a solid cast iron with lengths of wall portraying the redemption cross of a low relief in its center. The fence is covered by pieces of cast iron.
The central chapel that was conceived to be the main work of that cemetery is located in the intersection of two main roads. Its structure that is unique for a religious construction is octagonal.
It is made of up three concentric objects at different heights. The external side of those objects is lower and forms a gallery or arcade which surrounds the building.
By José Manuel Correa
