Museo Panteón de Belén

The Museo Panteón de Belén is defined by its pink stone tombs and a central chapel built in an Egyptian style. Originally known as the Panteón de Santa Paula, this cemetery was constructed in eighteen forty-eight at the request of Bishop Diego de Aranda y Carpinteiro. Architect Manuel Gómez Ibarra designed the grounds to address the urgent need for burial space following severe cholera epidemics that devastated Guadalajara. The site operated as a burial ground until it was closed by public health authorities in eighteen ninety-six.