Carmencita, Animita grave in Recoleta, Santiago, Chile

Carmencita is the grave of Margarita del Carmen Cañas in Santiago General Cemetery, on Lircay Street near the Recoleta entrance. The tomb is a sunken vault wedged between two tall mausoleums, whose walls hold more than 70 plaques thanking her for miracles.

Margarita del Carmen Cañas arrived in Santiago in 1933 during the economic depression and died there in 1949. Her story became the foundation for folk devotion that continues at this place today.

The site reflects Chilean folk religious practices where visitors leave offerings and ask for help with their problems. These customs show how local communities create and maintain their own spiritual places outside formal religious institutions.

The grave is located within Santiago General Cemetery and can be reached through the Recoleta Street entrance near Cementerios Metro station. Follow the paths toward Lircay Street to reach the site.

The legends of a murdered orphan girl were invented by a former caretaker of the cemetery patio, who placed a collection box on the vault claiming the grave was unpaid and the body would end up in the common ossuary. People left money deceived, and the myth proved hard to erase.