Among the nooks and crannies of the City, the cemeteries are located as silent places full of history. In particular, there is one that has been frozen in time. It is the oldest cemetery in the CDMX.
This cemetery not only keeps tombstones, it also has a great past and a lot of memory. You can even visit it to see why it is a place that is part of the capital’s identity.
The history behind the oldest cemetery in Mexico City.
To the north of the city, on the Tepeyac hill, is located the oldest cemetery in the CDMX, whose origin dates back to the end of the 15th century.
Under the name of the same hill, what we know today as Panteón Tepeyac opened its doors hundreds of years ago. Although there is no exact date of its inauguration, there are records that indicate that it began to be used before 1716, according to archaeologist Hugo Arciniega in “Tepeyac, el cementerio de los arquitectos” (Tepeyac, the architects’ cemetery).
This cemetery received people from colonial times, and in the empire of Maximilian of Habsburg it expanded to accommodate more people. It also houses the remains of Antonio López de Santa Anna, according to the Secretary of Tourism of the CDMX.
According to ancient urban legends, Juan Diego, the person who saw the Virgin Mary, was buried there, according to Catholic history.
Among the famous figures that this cemetery shelters, there is also the poet Xavier Villaurrutia and the journalist Filomeno Mata.
This is how you can visit this cemetery
In its origins, the Tepeyac Cemetery was a burial place for local residents, but it also received people from other cities. Its access was not so easy, as you had to climb a long cobblestone ramp.
Nowadays it is a civil cemetery and you can enter by appointment. Admission is free, but prior registration is required. If you go, do not forget to observe the emblematic sculpture of the Angel of Silence.
Its history is so long that it already has a museum located inside, which you can also visit. In its rooms you will see the history not only of the Tepeyac Pantheon, but also of the homonymous hill.