Rotonda de las Personas Ilustres

The Rotonda de las Personas Ilustres (Roundabout of Distinguished Persons) is a temple that honors those who have exalted the civic, national and human values of Mexico.

In 1872, President Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada ordered to have a section of Panteón Civil de Dolores, in Mexico City, dedicated to Mexicans who have given honor to the country. Within this temple are the mortuary remains of those who have made important contributions and excelled in service of Mexico, within any military, civic or cultural field.

By decree of President Vicente Fox, in 2003 this temple changed its name from Rotonda de los Hombres Ilustres (Roundoubout of Distinguished Men), to Rotonda de las Personas Ilustres (Roundabout of Distinguished Persons).

In 1876, arrived the remains of the first distinguished person to be buried there, military man Pedro Letechipía, of Zacatecas origin, who was honored for fighting against the Empire of Maximilian.

Each tomb and epitaph in the Rotonda was designed to perpetuate its nationalist intent and refer to their political and military participation or their contribution to science and art.

The National General Archive exhibits 104 images of the politicians, musicians, poets, writers, journalists, painters, intellectuals, educators, scientists and military men who currently rest within this niche of Panteón de Dolores.

More than one hundred distinguished men and women rest within this site, standing out, among many others, Amado Nervo, Salvador Díaz Mirón, Mariano Escobedo, Leona Vicario, Andrés Quintana Roo, Octavio Paz, Doctor Atl, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Gabino Barreda, Antonio Caso, Rosario Castellanos, José Clemente Orozco, Carlos Chávez, Dolores del Río, Salvador Díaz Mirón, Virginia Fábregas, Ricardo Flores Magón, Francisco González Bocanegra, Guillermo González Camarena, Agustín Lara, Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada, Ramón López Velarde, Francisco Montes de Oca, Mario Moreno “Cantinflas”, Amado Nervo, Jaime Nunó, Melchor Ocampo, Juan O’Gorman, Diego Rivera, Silvestre Revueltas, Diego Rivera, Francisco Sarabia and Justo Sierra.




Article Produced by the Editorial Team of Explorando México.
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Photo: Mundo Poesía