Madrid's oldest cemetery opens guided tours for All Saints and All Souls

The San Isidro Sacramental Cemetery, considered the oldest surviving cemetery in Madrid, is marking the solemnity of All Saints and the commemoration of All Souls with a new run of its "Ad aeternum" guided tours. The tours cover the cemetery's history, its artistic heritage and some of the monumental family vaults built there since the 19th century.

The tours are organized by the Real Archicofradía Sacramental de San Pedro, San Andrés y San Isidro (Royal Sacramental Archconfraternity of St. Peter, St. Andrew and St. Isidore) and run from October 30 to November 2, 2026.

The origins of a religious cemetery in 1811

The San Isidro Sacramental Cemetery was built in 1811 to bury members of the archconfraternity, after public health restrictions banned burials inside churches and within the city limits.

The site chosen was the Cerro de las Ánimas, next to the hermitage and fountain of San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of Madrid.

Over the following decades the cemetery also became a burial place for many aristocratic families of Madrid, who commissioned large vaults and funerary monuments. The grounds are listed as a Bien de Interés Cultural, Spain's national heritage protection designation, and hold 19th and 20th century funerary architecture and sculpture, as well as traces of Madrid's social and religious history.

Art and funerary monuments across nine courtyards

The cemetery is laid out in nine courtyards. The oldest are those of San Pedro, San Andrés and San Isidro. The Patio de la Purísima Concepción, with its concentration of monuments, sculptures and funerary structures, is considered one of the artistically richest parts of the grounds.

The archconfraternity describes it as an open-air museum of architecture and sculpture, combining monuments, gardens and areas set aside for prayer and quiet. On the tours, visitors see funerary works linked to figures from Spanish history and hear about the artists who worked on them.

Visitors can also go inside certain family vaults, with the permission of the families who own them and under the supervision of the archconfraternity's specialist staff. Conservation work cited by the archconfraternity includes the grave of the performer Consuelo Vello, known as La Fornarina, the burial place of the painter Carlos Luis de Ribera and the tomb of the composer Cristóbal Oudrid.

"Ad aeternum": memory and eternity

The tours take their name from the Latin phrase "Ad aeternum", meaning "for eternity". The archconfraternity says the tours invite visitors to reflect on the passage of time and on keeping alive the memory of those who went before, through the personal stories and the artworks that remain in the cemetery.

The cemetery is still in use for burials and worship, and the tours are run with respect for those buried there and for their families. Money raised from the activities goes toward restoring and repairing funerary monuments that need special protection.

Mass and procession for All Souls on November 2

The religious program continues on Monday, November 2, when the Catholic Church commemorates all the faithful departed. At noon that day, the hermitage of San Isidro will host a Mass celebrated by Pedro José Lamata, pastor of the parish of San Fulgencio y San Bernardo, according to the Archdiocese of Madrid.

After the Mass, a procession will set out for the San Isidro Sacramental Cemetery. At the cemetery, prayers will be said for the eternal rest of the members of the archconfraternity buried there. The celebration will end with music.

Dates, times and access

The "Ad aeternum" guided tours run from Friday, October 30, to Monday, November 2, starting at 11 a.m. and lasting about two hours. General admission is 8 euros. Retirees, students under 26 and unemployed people pay a reduced rate of 6 euros on presentation of proof. Admission is free for children under 12.

Booking in advance is required by email at info@cementeriodesanisidro.com. The San Isidro Sacramental Cemetery is at paseo de la Ermita del Santo 72, in the Carabanchel district of Madrid.

For All Saints and All Souls, the cemetery will stay open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on October 30 and 31 and on November 1 and 2. Ordinary entry to the cemetery is free, though the grounds have limited accessibility for people with reduced mobility.