São João Batista

Laid to Rest in Rio

Christ the Redeemer watches over the million souls laid to rest in the massive Cemiterio Sao Joao Batista in Rio. Its scale can only be measured by the endless tons of white marble and gray granite carved into angels and commissioned pieces of art on family plots. Many famous Brazilians are buried here, including Carmen Miranda, but look for the, albeit wealthy, everyday people with actual photos of the deceased on the headstones.

My favorite plot was of an angel draped over a pile of stone roses, simply stunning.