San Fernando Pantheon Museum

The San Fernando Pantheon Museum is a historic cemetery located in Mexico City. It was founded in 1786 by Viceroy Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, and is the final resting place of a large number of important figures in the history of Mexico, both colonial and republican.

History of the San Fernando Pantheon

The pantheon was built in the 18th century to replace the old cemetery of the church of San Fernando, which could no longer accommodate the growing population of the city.

Previously, bodies were buried inside the church as it was believed that this was the best way to have assured access to heaven.

In the majestic San Fernando Church, adjacent to the main altar, lie the remains of two distinguished viceroys, Matías de Gálvez y Gallardo and his illustrious son Bernardo de Gálvez. These distinguished characters, architects of the construction of the iconic Chapultepec Castle and many other transcendental works, find their eternal rest in this historic place.

The cemetery was inaugurated in 1786, and quickly became one of the most important cemeteries in Mexico City. A great number of important characters of the colonial era were buried there.

Republican period

With the independence of Mexico, the cemetery continued to be used for the burial of important people of the republic. President Ignacio Comonfort, General Ignacio Zaragoza, writer Ignacio Manuel Altamirano, and artist José Guadalupe Posada, among others, were buried there.

Important people who have been in the Pantheon of San Fernando

• Benito Juarez
• Miguel Miramon
• Ignacio Zaragoza
• Miguel Lerdo de Tejada del Corral
• Ignacio Comonfort
• Melchor Ocampo
• Mariano Riva Palacio
• Martin Carrera
• Vicente Guerrero
• Manuel de la Peña y Peña

San Fernando Pantheon Museum

In 1987, the pantheon was declared a National Artistic Monument. In 1996, it was converted into a museum, and its doors were opened to the public.

The museum has a collection of more than 150 tombs and niches, which represent an important testimony of Mexico’s history.

Below, we leave you a gallery with photos so you can get to know what the cemetery looks like in detail:

Tour of the San Fernando Cemetery

The tour of the museum begins at the main entrance, where the ancient tomb of Miguel Miramón is located.

But Miramon’s body is not in this cemetery because it was moved by his family when they found out that Benito Juarez would also be buried in the same cemetery.

Next, you can visit the large pantheon, which is the largest area of the cemetery. Most of the most important tombs and niches are located in the large pantheon.

The tour continues through the small cemetery, which is a smaller area located at the end of the large cemetery (currently closed to the public for remodeling). In the small cemetery are the tombs of lesser-known people, although not as striking as those in the large cemetery.

Visit the San Fernando Pantheon Museum

Let’s also weave with this highly recommended documentary made by El Foco where the history, some legends and more details of this beautiful and unique place are shown in more detail.

Location of the cemetery

We leave you the location on Google maps so that you can locate it more easily.

Visiting Hours

The San Fernando Pantheon Museum is a place of great historical and cultural importance. We recommend you to follow them on their social networks as they usually do events such as plays among the tombs.

It is a place worth visiting to learn more about the history of Mexico and the characters that have been part of it.

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