Authorities of Guanajuato will exhume 210 mummified bodies of the “Santa Paula” cemetary in order to rehabilitate the perimeter fence, because it is at risk of collapse.
The Head of the Health Department, Enrique Marmolejo Olea said: “During the exhumation, the bodies will be provisionally placed in temporary compartments within the premises, as soon as the construction work is done, we will reinstall the bodies back in their place.
By law, this process will be supervised by the State Health Department, a notary public and an anthropologist from the INAH.
Facade of “Santa Paula” pantheon (Image: Google.com)
The mayor of Guanajuato, Edgar Castro Cerrillo, emphasized: “We will treat the remains with respect at all times. Besides, we have established direct communication with the rector of the Basilica of Guanajuato, Ruben de la Cruz Martinez, and he agreed to celebrate a mass at “Panteón de Santa Paula” during the process. The rector of the Basilica will also bless the new compartments where the bodies will be placed”.
“The municipal government will invest 5.1 million pesos (268 thousand USD) to restore the perimeter fence and the main facade of the “Santa Paula” cemetary”, Castro Cerrillo continued.
A mummie of the permanent exhibition in Guanajuato (Image: Google)
Then, he added: “during the restoration process, municipal, state and federal agencies will supervise that the historical, cultural and architectural legacy of the City is not harmed.
The operation will also be directed by representatives of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH – Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia), National Department of Sites and Monuments (Dirección Nacional de Sitios y Monumentos), National Institute of Fine Arts (INBA – Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes) and the National Fund for Culture and Arts (Fonca – Fondo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes).
This is the first restoration carried out at “Panteón de Santa Paula” in almost 60 years. The last restoration work took place back in 1958.
The restoration of the wall surrounding the cemetary is really necessary because it poses a risk for people who lives in the area and walks along the side walk.
Inaugurated in 1861, the “Panteón de Santa Paula” is the historical where the famous (or infamous) “Mummies of Guanajuato” were found.
Source:http://www.excelsior.com.mx
