The Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Catholic Cemetery

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Category: Memory · Subcategory: Historic sites · Year: 1811-1812 · Authors: Manuel Ponce de León y Falcón

The old Catholic Cemetery in Las Palmas, at the south of the city, is an evolutionary paradigm within the funeral architecture genre, as a depositary of a series of historical, social, artistic and cultural values, which make it a much loved site. It was built between 1811 and 1812 and was down to a municipal initiative originating from the consequences of the yellow fever epidemic. Out of a plot of land situated on the outskirts of the city, a magnificent classical atrium was built, whose lines have been attributed to the then leading Gran Canarian religious sculptor José Luján Pérez.

From the second half of the 19th century onwards, the area began to feature a series of artistic and architectural expressions on a small scale, as a commemorative sign for the graveyard, giving the place a more monumental appearance, but also with a layout of patios and aisles which have enabled it to be compared to the city of the living.

The mark left by Canarian designer Manuel de León y Falcón (1812-1880) is not just apparent on the design of the entrance with verses of Larra over it, but also in a multitude of funerary projects aimed at the general public. The use of artistic language, by joining various linguistic elements translate it into its own artistic eclecticism in 19th century cemeteries. 

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