The only reason I went to Recoleta Cemetery when I was in Buenos Aires last fall was to see Eva Peron’s tomb. Unexpectedly, though, I was fascinated by the old and exclusive cemetery and its many ornate mausoleums, and ended up spending about 2 ½ hours there.
While my friend and I wandered the "streets" of the cemetery, we noticed an occasional sign pointing the way to the tomb of D.F. Sarmiento. His resting place was the only one that had directional signs. Not even Evita, the most-visited resident of the cemetery, had signs pointing her way, and we wondered why.
Eventually, we found the Duarte family mausoleum, where Evita is emtombed far below ground in her father's family's crypt. He father, who is buried elsewhere, was married to another woman when Evita's mother gave birth.
After we went through the line to see Eva Duarte Peron's tomb, we saw another sign for D.F.Sarmiento and decided to visit his tomb.
It turned out Domingo Faustino Sarmiento was the seventh president of the Republic of Argentina, serving from 1868 to 1874. He was known for his interest in and promotion of public education and for modernizing the Argentine government. Sarmiento’s tomb is marked by a tall obelisk topped by a condor, and by many plaques honoring him. He is one of about 18 Argentine presidents in the cemetery.
But we never did figure out why his crypt was singled out for signage.
You can read my story on visiting the Recoleta Cemetery here.
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