The cemetery is one of the most significant historic cemeteries in Andalusia and was completed in 1811. Burials took place there regularly beginning in 1833, while the current entrance complex, including the adjoining pilgrimage chapel, was completed in 1846. The neoclassical façade and the chapel continue to define the cemetery’s harmonious appearance to this day. Inside, there are numerous ornate panteones—prestigious family tombs, crypts, or small mausoleums—most of which were built in the late 19th century. There are also nichos, typical of Spain, in which coffins are placed in stacked wall niches and sealed with a stone or marble slab. The cemetery is also known for its elaborately designed tombs featuring sculptures, reliefs, photographs, and religious symbols. Among the most famous figures buried here is the bullfighter Manuel Rodríguez Sánchez, known as Manolete (1917–1947), who was born in Córdoba. After his death in the bullring in Linares, his remains were transferred to the current mausoleum in 1951. Manolete rests there beneath a recumbent marble sculpture, making the cemetery an important site of remembrance in the history of Spanish bullfighting.
