Cementerios de Chile: Cementerio de Disidentes

If you're looking for your British or German ancestors who lived and/or died in Chile, you may find them in the Cemetery of Dissidents in Valparaiso. If you're looking for the Cemetery of Dissidents (or Protestant Pantheon) be prepared to be looking for awhile. The only clue that we were even on the right track was this sidewalk mural along the way, and the fact that we were going up hill. I suspect that maps (including Google Maps) are not exactly to scale when it comes to los cerros in Chile.

Cementerio de Disidentes
This is where Protestant immigrants are buried. Prior to the establishment if this cemetery, non-Catholics of Valparaíso were buried in other cities or tossed out to sea, as they were not allowed to be buried in the Catholic cemeteries. (So many restrictions!). The burial grounds for dissidents was established in 1823. More narratives are included in these headstones (how they died, what they were doing when they died) which is always a favorite.

Efficiency
This cemetery (and in general) uses its available resources well, including water and space.  Unlike cemeteries in the United States, which look like grassy parks from a distance and require a lot of water to maintain the grounds, cemeteries in Chile tend to be entirely concrete. Space is limited, so to accommodate the growing population (ha!), several people share one plot.

The cemetery was renovated in 2011 after the damage of the 2010 earthquake. 

Concrete Cemetery

View from the entrance

Several names on each headstone
with death dates spanning decades

Several folks
share this plot as well

It is not uncommon to see company plots
or single graves for groups of firemen, policemen, etc

He fell asleep

German

English