Mors Omnia aequat: Guadalupe Cemetery History of the City of León

Abstract

This article describes the historical evolution of the Guadalupe Cemetery from its origins in the 1830s, a time when the first cemeteries outside town centers began to emerge across the country. By analyzing the dates on tombstones and reviewing documentary sources, the study concludes that the cemetery expanded from the south toward the west, north, and east. In its final phase, at the end of the 20th century, the area known as the “annex” of the Guadalupe Cemetery was purchased. In addition to its spatial evolution, the article also describes—drawing primarily on documentary sources—the roles of the Charity, Beneficence, and Social Assistance Boards in order to understand how cemeteries in Nicaragua, and Guadalupe Cemetery in particular, were managed during different historical periods, prior to being placed under municipal administration in the 1980s. Special attention is given to the central wall, which was declared a national heritage site in 1983.