Mors Omnia Aequat: History of the Cemetery of Guadalupe in the City of León

Abstract

This article describes the historical evolution of the Guadalupe Cemetery from its origins in the 1830s, when the first cemeteries outside the towns emerged throughout the nation. Through the dates on the tombs and the review of documentary sources, it is concluded that the cemetery grew from the south to the west, north and east. In a final phase at the end of the 20th century, what is known as the “annex” of the Guadalupe Cemetery was purchased. Apart from the spatial evolution, the article describes, using mainly documentary sources, the functions of the Charity, Welfare and Social Assistance Boards to understand how the cemeteries in Nicaragua and the one in Guadalupe in particular have been managed in different historical stages before that it passed to the mayor's office in the 1980s. Special attention receives the central wall, which was declared a national heritage in 1983.