The topiaria It is the art of pruning by means of the artistic cut of the plants with pruning shears. There are many gardens and exhibitions in the world with wonderful works of topiary as we saw in the article The wonderful botanical garden of Montreal and one of the plants that is most commonly used in this art is the cypress. In spite of this fact, it is not common for gardeners to dedicate themselves to the topiary and, nevertheless, it is what has made the incredible Tulcán Cemetery . Join us to know 10 Curiosities a unique cemetery.
Tulcán is a city of 55,000 inhabitants capital of the province of Carchi in the north of Ecuador . This city, right on the border with Colombia, receives many visitors thanks to the attractiveness of its unique cemetery located in the northwestern part of the city. The cemetery can be visited free of charge.
Tulcán Cemetery
1. The current Tulcán Cemetery It was built in 1932 after the destruction of the previous one, located in Loma Santiago, due to the earthquake of 1923. It is the only one in the city and in 2005 it received the official name of "José María Azael Franco Guerrero Cemetery".
2. It was José María Azael Franco Guerrero who initiated the planting of cypresses and his ornamental work in his work as head of the Parks and Gardens of Tucán. After José María's death, his son Benigno replaced him. Although he had other university studies, he decided to continue with his father until his death in 2014.
3. The cypresses grow strongly in the Tulcán Cemetery thanks to the calcareous earth of the place. From the tenth year of life of the tree they begin to give them shape according to the wishes and imagination of the artist-gardener at each moment.
4. There are 309 sculptures made in cypress distributed in the four hectares of landscaped area of the 8 hectares that has the cemetery in total. Along with the 309 works of topiary, there are more than 12,400 niches among the columbariums, the tumuli and the mausoleums.
5. The figures represented with the topiary are both the flora and fauna of Ecuador and forms related to the Inca, Aztec, Egyptian or Greek cultures.
6. One of the curiosities of Tulcán Cemetery is that the figures, according to their theme, divide the cemetery into two zones. The first with flora and fauna is called "Parque de los recuerdos" and the second with the other forms is the "Altar de Dios" where we can see arches, monolithic figures, masks or vessels among other things.
7. Two are the official titles that the wonderful one has received Tulcán Cemetery . On May 28, 1984, the work was declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation and also that of Tourist Interest. For these distinctions and for having become the main tourist attraction of the town, it currently has its own tourist office and a photographic museum in its facilities.
8. Despite its beauty and its extraordinary uniqueness, like other cemeteries, has not been exempt from vandals who have performed rituals of witchcraft in their facilities. In January of the year 2007 the Tulcán Cemetery He suffered damages derived from a fire that occurred after one of these "ceremonies".
9. The municipality of Tulcán, to promote visits to the cemetery that is Cultural Heritage of Ecuador endowed the installation with a new LED lighting in order to encourage night walks to see the plant sculptures. The initiative, which began in 2011, has been very successful. The tourists that visit the place come from Ecuador itself and from neighboring Colombia and other countries.
10. Unfortunately, some of the cypresses have been attacked by a fungus that produces a disease called "fumagina" in them. It makes the trees yellow and dry, which endangers the sculptures. The cypresses are sprayed frequently to try to eradicate the plague. Fumagina is not the only danger to this open-air museum. The Tourist Unit of the Municipality of Tulcán has said after a study that in less than 20 years figures may disappear due to an excess of manipulation and the lack of an environmental plan that protects it. Let's hope that does not happen and find solutions to the problems of the cemetery!
The Tulcán Cemetery It definitely deserves a visit if you are in Ecuador. The work of the topiary is extraordinary and makes this cemetery a worthy example of the curiosities of cemeteries around the world. At present the work is continued by Mr. Lucio Reina, who worked with the Franco and is the author of the second phase of the cemetery topiary made in the area called "Parque de los Recuerdos". Did you know the existence of Tulcán Cemetery ? If you have more information about him, share them with us! and so we can expand this list of curiosities. If you want to know more about campoantos, we invite you to read the post: 15 Tenebrous Cemeteries of the world | Only brave .
Images: Diego Delso