--- title: Visiting cemeteries description: One of my favorite activities on vacation is visiting a local cemetery. image: https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/VB-NEHGS-on-vacation-for-VB-225x300-1.jpg --- # [Vita Brevis A resource for family history from AmericanAncestors.org](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. # Visiting cemeteries [October 20, 2016](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2016/10/visiting-cemeteries) [American History](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/american-history), [Spotlight](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/spotlight), [Object Lessons](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/object-lessons), [Family stories](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/family-stories) [Lindsay Fulton](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/author/lfulton) [![vb-nehgs-on-vacation-for-vb](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/VB-NEHGS-on-vacation-for-VB-225x300-1.jpg?width=225&height=300&name=VB-NEHGS-on-vacation-for-VB-225x300-1.jpg)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/VB-NEHGS-on-vacation-for-VB-1.jpg)One of my favorite activities on vacation is visiting a local cemetery. Not just to view the ornate memorials and beautiful architecture, but to learn about the people that a particular region/state appreciates and associates with its national pride. On my last trip to Puerto Rico, I visited the Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery in San Juan, founded in 1863 outside of the walls of the city’s most famous landmark, the Castillo San Felipe del Morro (known by locals as “el Morro”). The cemetery has a gorgeous view over the Atlantic Ocean, and it is the final resting place of many famous and influential Puerto Ricans:[[1]](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2016/10/visiting-cemeteries#_ftn1) - Ricardo Alegría, father of modern Puerto Rican archaeology; - Gilberto Concepción de Gracia, politician, founder of the Puerto Rican Independence Party; - José de Diego, poet, lawyer and liberal politician; - Lolita Lebron, nationalist leader; - Pedro Salinas, Spanish poet; - Miguel Ángel Suárez, actor; and - Rafael Tufiño, painter and graphic artist And then there is Pedro Albizu Campos, the leading figure in the Puerto Rican independence movement. He was buried in the Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery in 1965, during a funeral attended by more than 75,000 people. Albizu was a fascinating person – he enlisted with the U.S. Army during the First World War; he went to Harvard, graduating valedictorian in 1921; he could speak six languages (English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, and Italian) and read two more (Latin and Greek), was a father of four, and led the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party from 1930 until 1965 as president. His followers nicknamed him “El Maestro” (the teacher) and many streets, schools, and parks throughout Puerto Rico are named after Pedro Albizu Campos.[[2]](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2016/10/visiting-cemeteries#_ftn2) As president of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, Albizu lived at the intersection of Calle Sol and Calle de La Cruz in Old San Juan. Today, this historic building is home to several restaurants and bars – Sol y Cruz, St. Germaine, Mezzanine, and Al Fresco. And while it was difficult to choose, my family decided to take a break from the heat and humidity to grab a Pina Colada at St. Germaine. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the life, rather than just the death, of one of the men buried in Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis. As a historian, it was fascinating to see the walls of the restaurant and bar plastered with old photos, newspaper articles, and paintings from the previous owner – including a wall full of bullet holes (yes, bullet holes). As one of the plaques explained, “On the second floor of this historic building lived and was arrested twice after heavy firefight don Pedro Albizu Campos (1891/3?–1965), president of the Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico-Freedom Movement. Of African, Basque, and Taino heritage, his life’s work was the fight for the independence of Puerto Rico from the United States.”[[3]](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2016/10/visiting-cemeteries#_ftn3) According to the bartender, the local police and the National Guard surrounded the house in 1950, and after a fire fight that caused the bullet holes, Albizu was taken into custody for his involvement in the Freedom Movement. He was sentenced to a term of eighty years, but was pardoned after serving fourteen years, on 15 November 1964, as he was in deteriorating health. He died on 21 April 1965. The story was a poignant reminder that while Pedro Albizu Campos was buried with a picturesque view of the Atlantic, he lived a life fighting for Puerto Rico. Have you visited a cemetery while on vacation? Do you have a favorite cemetery? Favorite person? ### Notes [[1]](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2016/10/visiting-cemeteries#_ftnref1) [http://www.findagrave.com/php/famous.php?page=cem&FScemeteryid=1662828](http://www.findagrave.com/php/famous.php?page=cem&FScemeteryid=1662828);  [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Mar%C3%ADa_Magdalena_de_Pazzis_Cemetery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Mar%C3%ADa_Magdalena_de_Pazzis_Cemetery) [[2]](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2016/10/visiting-cemeteries#_ftnref2) Plaque in the mezzanine at St. Germaine, San Juan, Puerto Rico;  [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Mar%C3%ADa_Magdalena_de_Pazzis_Cemetery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Mar%C3%ADa_Magdalena_de_Pazzis_Cemetery) [[3]](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2016/10/visiting-cemeteries#_ftnref3) Plaque in the mezzanine at St. Germaine. ### Share this: - [mailto:?body=https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2016/10/visiting-cemeteries](mailto:?body=https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2016/10/visiting-cemeteries) - - - More - - ![Lindsay Fulton](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/hubfs/Lindsay_Fulton_Jan25.jpg) ## About Lindsay Fulton Lindsay Fulton is a nationally recognized professional genealogist and lecturer who joined American Ancestors in 2012. She leads the Research and Library Services team as Chief Research Officer, as well as the research team working on 10 Million Names. In addition to helping constituents with their research, Lindsay has authored a Portable Genealogists on the topics of Applying to Lineage Societies and the United States Federal Census (1790-1950), and is a frequent contributor to the American Ancestors blog, Vita-Brevis. She was featured in the Emmy-Winning Program: Finding your Roots: The Seedlings, a web series inspired by the PBS series “Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.", as well as another popular PBS series, “Samantha Brown’s Places to Love.” Before, American Ancestors, Lindsay worked at the National Archives and Records Administration in Waltham, Massachusetts, where she designed and implemented an original curriculum program exploring the Chinese Exclusion Era for elementary school students. She holds a B.A. from Merrimack College and M.A. from the University of Massachusetts-Boston. Area of Expertise: State and Federal Censuses, New England, Ireland, and New York research, with a focus on research methodology and organization. Lindsay also oversees the research team working on the 10 Million Names project.[View all posts by Lindsay Fulton →](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/author/lfulton) [← When everything changed](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2016/10/when-everything-changed) [Turbulent times →](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2016/10/turbulent-times) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. ### Recent Posts [Sailor Bill and His Forgotten Wife](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/sailor-bill-and-his-forgotten-wife) [Professor X](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/professor-x) [Part I: Malaga Island, Maine](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/part-i-malaga-island-maine) [The Norwegian folge](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/the-norwegian-folge) [Research…in a Miniskirt? 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