The Cementerio General de Reina is the oldest surviving cemetery in Cuba.

History

Although the archives do not give clear information, we know that when the Fernandina de Jagua colony (today's Cienfuegos) was founded in 1819, the dead were buried haphazardly in the old cemetery that was not far from the city centre. The location of this cemetery, which was only 7-8 blocks away from the city center and naturally very close to the houses, has started to become a problem with the increase in the city population. Moreover, its proximity to the sea, which was less than 20 meters, was another negative factor affecting the access of the inhabitants of the city to the sea. Thus, by 1836, it was inevitable to increase the capacity of the cemetery and to spruce it up. The construction of the cemetery began in 1836 and was finished in 1839.

This new cemetery established on the site of the old cemetery was named as Cementerio General de Reina (the General Cemetery of Queen), likely to be inspired by Spanish Queen Isabella II.

When the Cementerio Tomás Acea (Tomas Acea Cemetery) came into service in 1926, the old Cementerio General de Reina was no longer preferred by the majority of the people. The frequent floods due to being so close to the sea and the water coming out on the ground of most of the graves when they were excavated played a role in this preference. In course of time the tombs and the sculptures could not be saved from the damage of the water, so that they crumbled from years of neglect. After a long general deferral of maintenance, the Office of the Conservator of the City of Cienfuegos started a modest conservation work on the cemetery's unique stacked burial niches and chapel which included also flood control and reconstruction of the tombs and the statues to make the cemetery a better place for the living and the dead. Today, the cemetery is used only by families that own plots.

The Cementerio General de Reina was declared a National Monument in 1990. The Urban Historic Center of Cienfuegos was added to the World Heritage List in 2005, but Reina Cemetery remained outside the protected zone which is the main reason why the significant needs of the site remain.