Cemetery of Pereiró

Pereiró Cemetery is the main necropolis of Vigo, spread over a hillside in the Pereiró area within the parish of Castrelos, in Galicia, Spain. Beyond its function as a burial ground, the site works as an open-air museum of funerary art, its pantheons, chapels and tombstone sculptures tracing more than a century of the city's history.

Why did Vigo need a new cemetery?

By the end of the 19th century, Vigo was going through rapid economic and demographic growth. The two cemeteries then in use — El Picacho in the Berbés neighborhood and the burial ground by the church of Santiago de Vigo — could no longer keep up with the growing population. The city council decided to build a larger cemetery that would meet the hygienic standards of the time, and work began in 1889.

Who designed it, and when did it open?

The project was entrusted to architect Jenaro de la Fuente Domínguez, one of the most important figures in Vigo's architecture of that era. The cemetery was formally inaugurated in March 1898, when Mayor Antonio López de Neira and Bishop Valeriano Menéndez Conde y Álvarez received the keys to the facility. Construction alone cost 100,000 pesetas, while expropriating the 121 properties needed for the site added a further 8,604 pesetas. The result was a 62,500 m² necropolis enclosed by a stone wall three and a half meters high, laid out around two main central avenues and eight corridors divided into 16 sections.

What makes Pereiró stand out among Galician cemeteries?

For decades, Pereiró was the only cemetery in all of Galicia where civil burials — outside Catholic ritual — were permitted. As a result, people from other towns across the region who had no such option closer to home were buried here, giving the site an importance that reached well beyond Vigo itself.

What artwork can visitors find here?

The necropolis doubles as something of an outdoor gallery of funerary sculpture. It holds several works by the noted Galician sculptor Francisco Asorey González, the best known of which is a piece titled "La muerte acecha tras la doncella" ("Death lurks behind the maiden") — a composition that pairs the theme of mortality with Asorey's characteristically realistic style.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the cemetery located? In the Pereiró area, within the parish of Castrelos in Vigo, Galicia, at approximately 42.2088° N, 8.7335° W.

When was it built? Construction started in 1889, and the cemetery officially opened in March 1898.

Who designed it? Architect Jenaro de la Fuente Domínguez.

Can it be visited as a tourist attraction? Yes — given its architectural and artistic value, including the sculptures by Francisco Asorey, guided walking routes through the necropolis are offered, tracing the city's history through the figures and tombs found there.

How large is it? Roughly 62,500 m², divided into 16 sections arranged along two main avenues and eight corridors.