The Christopher Columbus Necropolis in Havana is one of the most silent and uncrowded places in the city (depending on how you look at it), but also one of the places that contains the most art within its walls. Death and art in a conjunction are a little difficult to assimilate for some, while for others, it is a journey of new discoveries, every time they decide to enter that vast landscape of marbles and tombstones. I count myself in the latter group, but I will not deny that my heart flutters a little in the midst of so much solemnity and sadness.
A few days ago, I went and I did not visit it as I would have liked because it is very large and its solitude lends itself to many things, which it is preferable not to mention here. There are always unscrupulous people from whom it is better to beware, right?
So I just walked along its main street, which is where the pantheons of the wealthiest personalities of Cuba, and the most significant in various fields, whether political, social and cultural in the past, as well as other monuments noted for their greatness and symbolism. There you can appreciate many details that have very curious meanings in relation to death and the passage to the afterlife.
This cemetery is an undisputed architectural and sculptural jewel, which is why it is considered one of the most important cemeteries in the world.
Of course, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to show these black and white captures. I hope you enjoy them and with these images, I subscribe to my commitment to return there, in search of the best kept stories of this city and its people. There are all kinds, from inspirational and faith-filled, to downright creepy. This is my entry in the #Monomad Challenge.
The entrance of the Cemetery is crowned with this sculptural ensemble that alludes to Faith, Hope and Charity. It reaches a height and length of 21.66 and 34 meters, respectively.
This scene of the great entrance, seen from the interior, it is also a work of the Cuban sculptor José Vilalta Saavedra, and represents the Resurrection of Lazarus.
Here I got a little scared, I confess. So much silence and solitude, me looking through the viewfinder and this man walks by...
Sculpture crowning the monument to the firefighters. It is very interesting and deserves only one publication to tell its story, through details.
How much affliction in this angel.... and if you look at her well, she seems to be alive. Look at her veins!
When I looked at this scene, the little angel was praying, and I could feel at this moment a lot of peace.
That's why I say it's a place where you'll never have an identical photo... this is me experimenting.
... light for that spirit and strength for the family. I felt a bit of sadness when I took this picture.
Replica of Michaelangelo's Pieta, in the Pantheon of Don Miguel Gonzalez de Mendoza y Pedroso, an illustrious personage born in Havana in the middle of the XIX century.
This other Pietá, sculpted by a great Cuban artist, Rita Longa (Havana, Cuba, June 14, 1912 - ibidem, May 29, 2000), can be appreciated in the Aguilera Family Pantheon.
Original content by 