Havana
Crumbling, withered, exotic
Embassy of the Republic of Ghana in Cuba
Inside “Colón Cemetery” you will find the biggest concentration of statues and funerary monuments in Cuba
The cemetery is expanded around two main avenues at its joining point make a perfect cross. It’s as by its luxury and its conception a small city of marbles, bronzes, angels and crosses, and as a diverse allegories who show the great imagination of the artists allowing to appreciate the dead’s social class as the acknowledgment they deserved by the people.
The most popular grave and obviously the most visited one, is that of Amelia Goyri de la Hoz, an upper class lady known at present as “La Milagrosa” (The Miraculous Woman).
Doña Amelia passed away in 1903 with 23 years old, and lived a life as a novel. After many inconvenience she had to wait for his father death to marry the man she really loved. But her happiness was ephemeral, because she expired a year later during the process of delivery.
The lady was buried with the dead child placed on her feet. The legend tells when the grave was opened some time afterwards the child was on his mother’s arms. Her desperate husband, José Vicente Adot, could not stand so much pain and went out of his mind. He went to the cemetery every afternoon and tapped the gravestone with the bronze knocker screaming: Wake up Amelia! Wake up Amelia!
He made this ritual for 17 years until he died. All this story of suffering made the romantic lady a worshipped imaged.
At present the image competes in terms of relevance with the saints and virgins of the Catholic and Yoruba religions.
On the other hand, the La Milagrosa receives more flowers and prayers than any other holy images, while the authorities of the Cuban church observe astonished in silent. Hundreds of people go to La Milagrosa to ask for their children or love affairs. Since ancient times the ceremonial includes tapping with the knockers as the insane husband did.
The visitors leave walking backwards to avoid turning their backs to the white statue of Amelia.
Embassy of the Republic of Ghana in Cuba
Inside “Colón Cemetery” you will find the biggest concentration of statues and funerary monuments in Cuba
The cemetery is expanded around two main avenues at its joining point make a perfect cross. It’s as by its luxury and its conception a small city of marbles, bronzes, angels and crosses, and as a diverse allegories who show the great imagination of the artists allowing to appreciate the dead’s social class as the acknowledgment they deserved by the people.
The most popular grave and obviously the most visited one, is that of Amelia Goyri de la Hoz, an upper class lady known at present as “La Milagrosa” (The Miraculous Woman).
Doña Amelia passed away in 1903 with 23 years old, and lived a life as a novel. After many inconvenience she had to wait for his father death to marry the man she really loved. But her happiness was ephemeral, because she expired a year later during the process of delivery.
The lady was buried with the dead child placed on her feet. The legend tells when the grave was opened some time afterwards the child was on his mother’s arms. Her desperate husband, José Vicente Adot, could not stand so much pain and went out of his mind. He went to the cemetery every afternoon and tapped the gravestone with the bronze knocker screaming: Wake up Amelia! Wake up Amelia!
He made this ritual for 17 years until he died. All this story of suffering made the romantic lady a worshipped imaged.
At present the image competes in terms of relevance with the saints and virgins of the Catholic and Yoruba religions.
On the other hand, the La Milagrosa receives more flowers and prayers than any other holy images, while the authorities of the Cuban church observe astonished in silent. Hundreds of people go to La Milagrosa to ask for their children or love affairs. Since ancient times the ceremonial includes tapping with the knockers as the insane husband did.
The visitors leave walking backwards to avoid turning their backs to the white statue of Amelia.
posted by momof2boys at
10:57 AM
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