From aristocratic vault to café: Buenos Aires tenders old tombs at La Recoleta cemetery

Behind Evita’s grave in Buenos Aires’ La Recoleta Cemetery, a man directs visitors to a vault once owned by the Girado family. The government has now put out a tender to lease and operate the space as a gift shop and café. The Girado family vault, built in 1822, is one of 90 declared National Historic Monuments within the cemetery.

It will host takeout items and nighttime tours, with a monthly fee of 1.6 million pesos and 20% of the revenue from tours. The vault was recently returned to the city after an administrative process, but remains under guard by security personnel who have denied the identity of the vault and tried to dissuade journalists. The city government has not yet received formal complaints about the tender.