Almudena Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in Cusco and over the years has expanded up to seven acres. Now more than 23,000 people are buried here, most in stacked crypts with shadowbox window displays created by the deceased’s families. Families pay annual rental fees to keep the bodies entombed. Each shadowbox is uniquely decorated, with toys, flowers, photos, mementos, and figurines displayed behind glass. Local schoolboys are paid by families to clean the metal surfaces of the tombs with lemon rind and sweep the surfaces. Almudena is located next to the…
