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Content Published August 14, 2018

Worshippers

There were several people there, asking for prayers, while our guide was telling us La Milagrosa's tale. Everyone left flowers, prayed and then walked backwards until they got to the road, sometimes beyond that. The tour guide invited our group to say a prayer if they wished.

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Content Published August 14, 2018

La Milagrosa (The Miraculous One)

Señora Amelia Goyri died while giving birth on May 3, 1901. For many years after her death, her heartbroken husband visited the grave several times a day. He always knocked with one of four iron rings on the burial vault and walked away backwards so he could see her for as long as possible. When the bodies were exhumed some years later, Amelia's body was uncorrupted (a sign of sanctity in the Catholic faith) and the baby, who had been buried at its mother's feet, was allegedly found in her arms.

Thousans of people come here annually with gifts, in the hope of fulfilling dreams or solving problems. In keeping with tradition, pilgrims knock with the iron ring on the vault and walk away backwards when they leave.

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Content Published August 14, 2018

More tombs

The tombs that were replicas of their houses were really neat!

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Content Published August 14, 2018

Marble

It was just a sea of marble.

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Content Published August 14, 2018

Tomb house

She told us the story of this tomb/house. It was warm that day. You can see everyone is standing in the shade.

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Content Published August 14, 2018

Irma

Irma was our guide inside the Necropolis Cristobal Colon. She was talking so fast that there was no time to take notes and she had no patience for stragglers or talking. She told us she had plenty of other things to do if we didn't want to hear her tour and she only had so much time. LOL!!!

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Content Published August 14, 2018

Nun

I think the nun symbolizes martyrdom.

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Female symbolism

The four female figures on each corner represent Abnegation, Pain, Heroism and Martyrdom.

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Content Published August 14, 2018

The firefighters

The faces went all around. May 17 is the Day of the Firefighter in Cuba. There's a procession that comes to pay respect every year.

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Content Published August 14, 2018

Inverted torches

Since they're inverted, they represent death.

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Content Published August 14, 2018

Bat

If you know me you know I mostly just liked the bat. I looked it up and a bat on a crypt is rare and it represents the underworld.

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Content Published August 14, 2018

Monumento a los Bomberos

The Mausoleum of the Firemen was built to commemorate the 28 firemen who died when a hardware shop in La Habana Vieja caught fire in 1890. At the top a winged angel with a blindfold, representing the Angel of Faith , holds in his arms a dying fireman, while raising the left hand to heaven, delivering the heroic life.

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Content Published August 14, 2018

Another mansion

The stained glass on this family's crypt was copied from their mansion as well as the architecture.

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Mini mansions

Many of the family vaults are smaller-scale versions of their owners’ mansions.

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Broken column

The broken column in the middle represents a life cut short.

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Content Published August 14, 2018

Cemetery symbolism

I haven't thought much about cemetery monuments. We learned a lot. The column in the center represents a life. The drape over the top represents mourning.

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Gates

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Entrance

The entrance gates were amazing!

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Content Published August 14, 2018

Necropolis Cristobal Colon

Our next stop.It was established by royal decree in 1866.

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