Explore two of the monumental cemeteries of Porto!
Most people that visit Porto do not go to a cemetery. I know, because I was the only person around. But, I’m weird so I found a couple. The weather was still dreadful and I didn’t want to be inside. However, it wasn’t really windy, perfect for cemetery explorations.
Cemitério da Lapa
The Cemitério da Lapa is located next to the Igreja da Lapa, not far north of Porto’s City Hall. The cemetery was founded in 1833 and is the oldest operating private Catholic cemetery in Portugal. The church dates from the 18-19th centuries. It took awhile to build.
The Igreja da Lapa is a pretty grand church, maybe that is why it took over a hundred years to finish.
The lighting inside is quite dramatic. I love it.
Now for the cemetery.
Some of the first Portuguese romanticist funerary monuments were installed here. Cemeteries throughout Portugal adopted similar styles.
A family tomb mimicking a tiny grotto.
Large mausoleums are very common. Most are in a older style.
There are a few modern ones, too.
The style of the cemetery started as a “campo santo,” where small tombs fit close together, like this central part. However, the amount and placement of mausoleums, which are usually regulated to the certain sections of cemeteries, were not regulated at all. This lead to a mixture of smaller, simple tombs with mausoleums in the older sections of the cemetery.
I love this style of mausoleum. It is extremely Portuguese.
Another fantastic one.
That is … different.
A very good pup on this one.
I couldn’t make out the name.
I was being yelled at by this cat. It was acting like it wanted me to follow it. It did not and yelled at me again.
The void guardian led me to a upper lever.
Seems like a tombstone you would see in the states, almost.
A small but fantastic cemetery in central Porto.
Cemitério de Agramonte
The Cemitério de Agramonteis a bit younger than the previous one. However, it is much bigger. It was founded in 1855 as a public cemetery often used for poorer families. In the 1870s, fancy tombs and mausoleums were allowed and the rich flocked here.
The cemetery is reachable by public transport. I stopped by with my rental car on the way out of town. There was plenty of street parking in the area. The only drawback was that I was limited to 2 hours.
This cemetery is much more geared toward tourism. I just was the only crazy person out in the rain that day.
Like the previous cemetery, it has grand mausoleums.
I believe that is the chapel. Though it might be a giant mausoleum. Hard to tell sometimes.
There are even some fancy non-mausoleum tombs.
Multiple family members are typically buried in one tomb or mausoleum.
A bit different stone than the other mausoleums.
Rows and rows of mausoleums.
A bit dramatic.
The cemetery was founded in the western part of the city. Large cemeteries were often built on the edge of cities just so there would be room to build it. The modern city has completely surrounded it.
I dig this door.
Sticking smaller tombs wherever they can.
A bit different.
I’m pretty sure that is a chapel.
Many tombstones have small pictures of the deceased on them. A bit more on this one.
Families only rent a tomb/mausoleum. If no one is paying anymore, tombs and mausoleums can become vacant, like this one.
I love these.
Lots of drapery.
A grassy area that I didn’t have time to check out.
I love that door.
Temple, anyone?
A few blossoms.
Another unique one.
This cemetery even has a few palm trees. The weird angle of this photo is because I took the picture from through the fence from the area I parked. The cemetery is a bit raised.
This is only two of the many cemeteries in the Porto area. Monumental cemeteries like these can usually be found in larger cities. However, the Cemitério da Lapa shows that a cemetery doesn’t have to be big to be monumental.
Tune in for my next update where I explore the seaside city of Aveiro, which has one very stunning monastery!
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Start at the beginning of this adventure!
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