The beginning
The cemetery of St. John Batista is the only cemetery in the southern zone of the city. The first burial in the cemetery of San João Batista took place on December 4, 1852. It was a little girl Rozaura, who was only four years old.
Today, the cemetery has significantly expanded, and he found his last rest by many celebrities. There are so many famous graves that even in the cemetery they even received a nickname - "the cemetery of the stars".
"Little Angels"
Take the main avenue, passing through the main gate of Rua General Polidoro; about halfway to the cemetery chapel (unfortunately closed) facing you, heading for a small hill, where there are no buildings that are part of the cemetery in the northeast corner, along the Rua Alvaro Ramos. At the foot of the hill, a flight of stone steps leads to a small hill.
The atmosphere changes rapidly, and you find yourself in a forest desert, on an uneven stone path in the undergrowth. A few more steps, and the mood changes again, and ancient structures appear and appear from tropical vegetation in an atmosphere reminiscent of Colombia's pre-Columbian "Lost City".
After the final rounding of the last bend, a huge number of white crosses appear at the top of the hill, emerging from under the ground. Overcome this vision, which, of course, inspires respect, you can think twice about walking along it, so follow your steps and go left along the slope. On the other hand, pushing back the branch that marks the end of the track, you go out for the same crosses, just as amazing.
On the left side there is another area of crosses. This unique and disturbing place is known as the cemetery of "little angels". These are not the graves of unbaptized children (as in some countries), but children under seven whose parents did not have the opportunity to pay for an official burial.
History
Saint Jean the Baptist Cemetery, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro (Cemitério de São João Batista) - established in 1852. It is located in the area of Botafem, the only cemetery in the southern zone of the city. It has about 25 thousand tombs, of which about 65 thousand buried bodies, the majority of Catholics.
Due to its historical and artistic significance, San Juan Batista is considered a tourist attraction of Rio de Janeiro and is part of the cultural route of the city. The cemetery occupies a vast area, facing General Polidoro Street, 333.5 meters, extending from that front, to the slopes of the Morro de São João, having in the flat part the surface of 183,123 square meters.
Inside the land passes the Berquó River. The design of the monumental portico and the front grilles are authored by the architect Francisco Joaquim Béthencourt da Silva.
It is one of the most ornate Brazilian cemeteries, with hundreds of rich mausoleums and artistic burials. In the center there is a chapel dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. It has a court reserved for burial of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, as a form of gratitude of the Holy House of Mercy, with the nuns who attended the sick and asylees of the institution.
There are also the crypts of the Brazilian Academy of Letters (Quadra 29 nº 1778-E), of the Brazilian soldiers killed during World War I, Brazilian airmen, Mariners of the São Paulo Battleship killed during the Revolution of 1924 and of veterans of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force (FEB).
The main aleia (Aleia São João Batista) is jokingly called "Vieira Souto", in reference to the luxurious avenue that borders the Ipanema Beach. In it are some of the most visited tombs of the cemetery, such as those of Tom Jobim, Luis Carlos Prestes and Santos Dumont, besides notable mausoleums and rich deposits. Highlight for the large cruise, in pumped granite.
By the great number of famous people buried there, the Saint John the Baptist is known as "the cemetery of the stars". It is also the most burial necropolis of heads of state in Brazil, with at least eight former presidents of the republic, several prime ministers of the Empire and even a former foreign head of government (Marcello Caetano, former president of the Council of Ministers of Portugal).
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