La Almudena Cemetery

Madrid · Spain · Cemetery

At Western Europe's largest cemetery, the angel of death's trumpet was moved from his lips – whoever hears it sound will soon die.

The Almudena Cemetery opened provisionally in 1884 in the midst of a cholera epidemic and today holds some five million graves across 120 hectares – more dead than Madrid has living inhabitants. Above the chapel watches Fausto, the angel of death, and legend says that whoever hears his trumpet sound will soon die; out of superstition the sculpture was designed with the trumpet resting on his knees rather than at his lips. Drivers on bus line 110, which crosses the cemetery, have told of a young woman who boards at night, requests the stop at the Heroes of Cuba monument and is gone when the doors open – and of stop-request lights blinking on in empty buses. The cemetery now also hosts nocturnal mystery tours and recurring reports of recorded voices.

FAQ

Where is La Almudena Cemetery located?

La Almudena Cemetery is in Madrid, Spain.