Cemetery of Punta Arenas

Cemetery of Punta Arenas is the public cemetery of the city of Punta Arenas, Chile. It has four hectares and is located in the northern area of the city, in Bulnes Avenue, and between the streets Francisco Bilbao and Angamos. There are three entrances: the main entrance is in Bulnes Avenue, and two other entrances are in Francisco Bilbao and Angamos streets.The cemetery has been ranked by CNN as one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world. It was designated a National Monument of Chile in 2012.OriginsUnder the administration of the Governor Manuel Señoret, the cemetery was inaugurated on 9 April 1894. This saint field was built in order to replace the old one, which was located where José de los Santos Mardones Square is today. The area was donated the pioneer Sara Braun, and the engineer Fortunato Circutti in 1919 designed the whole portico and the walls that surround the cemetery.Important CharactersRelevant figures in the history of Punta Arenas are buried in the cemetery of that city. It is important to mention the chapels of the great families of that epoch such as Menèndez-Behety, Braun Hamburger, Blanchard, Greenshields, Kusanovic and Menèndez-Montes. Menèndez-Behety was one of the most influential families during that time and they founded several companies and acquired large tracts of land in the Chilean Patagonia.