Cali’s Central Cemetery unveiled the interactive museum “Historias que siguen vivas” (“Stories That Live On”) on November 2. The initiative by Funerarias y Camposantos Metropolitano of the Archdiocese of Cali offers a free self-guided route introducing people who left their mark on the city. According to TuBarco (opens in a new tab), its opening coincided with All Souls’ Day and a tribute to Father Alfonso Hurtado Galvis.

The stories behind the names

The route brings together eleven figures, including Jovita Feijóo, Primitivo Crespo and Adolfo Aristizábal. Visitors can use QR codes at different points to read their biographies on their phones. The self-guided experience explores how these lives connect with different moments in Cali’s history.

A tribute to solidarity

A monument to Father Alfonso Hurtado Galvis was also unveiled during the event. He is remembered for supporting and helping victims of the explosion of August 7, 1956. The work, by artist Cristiano Ovio Díaz, depicts the priest holding a child. A clock stopped at 1:07 a.m. recalls the time of the tragedy.

The same explosion damaged Historia del Transporte (History of Transportation), one of Hernando Tejada’s murals in the former railway station.

Another way to discover the city

More than a century old, the Central Cemetery preserves gardens and monuments connected to Cali’s past. As Funerarias y Camposantos Metropolitano (opens in a new tab) describes it, its value also lies in the memories of those buried there and in the ties their families maintain with the place. According to El País (opens in a new tab), the new self-guided route offers a way to discover some of these stories daily, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Bring your phone and explore the site with respect for families visiting their loved ones.

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