Lore
Panteón de Belén in Guadalajara, Mexico, began in 1848 as Santa Paula Cemetery, created outside the city after epidemics, famine, and overcrowded hospitals made a new burial ground necessary. Built on land tied to the Hospital of Belén, it was associated with Fray Antonio Alcalde and constructed by Manuel Gómez Ibarra for Bishop Diego de Arana y Carpinteiro. The cemetery had separate common and elite sections, with a chapel to Saint Paula and a mausoleum for notable people from Jalisco. Closed to burials in 1896, it later became a public historic site known for its architecture, local legends, ghost stories, and guided tours.
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Jalisco · Mexico
