The upscale neighborhood of Recoleta in Buenos Aires is home to an intriguing and historical landmark, el Cementerio de Recoleta. The cemetery is very reminiscent of the New Orleans cemeteries with elaborate above-ground vaults and mausoleums. Last week, my class and I took a guided tour of this somewhat eerie resting place for many of the most important figures in Argentine history, including María Eva Duarte Peron (Evita). The story that interested me most was that of Rufina Cambaceres. Rufina was a young girl of 19 years. According to the legend, her closest friend came to tell her a secret that put her into such shock that she died of a heart attack. It is believed that the secret was that Rufina's mother was having an amorous affair with her fiancee. The man was Hipólito Irigoyen, a man that eventually became president of Argentina. The next day the young girl was buried in the Recoleta Cementery. A few days later the grave keeper noticed that the coffin had moved from its original spot. At hearing this, the mother ordered the coffin to be opened. She found that her daughter had been buried alive, which was evident from the scratch marks left in the wood from Rufina's futile attempts to escape her "second" death. It is believed that she had suffered from catalepsy before she was buried and eventually died of suffocation. People believe that Rufina's spirit still walks among the streets of Recoleta enticing young men to her tomb only to discover that Rufina is dead.
Sleep tight....
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