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In the large and beautiful Necrópolis de Colón in Havana there is one enormously popular grave site, that of a woman named Amelia Goyri, otherwise known as La Milagrosa, who died in childbirth in May of 1901. And, as the story goes, her inconsolable husband visited her grave every day and would knock 4 times on one of the iron rings of her tomb and then walk away backwards. People still perform this little ritual today when they visit her tomb.

And the story continues: Years later her body was exhumed and found uncorrupted which in the Catholic Church is a sign of sanctity. And amazingly enough (so they say) her baby, who was buried with her at her feet, was found instead in her arms.

Is it any wonder that she is now called La Milagrosa -' the miraculous woman' - and that she has a huge cult following. When we entered the cemetery - where lie the remains of many famous Cubans - the guard at the gate told us it was $10 to enter. But when we said we were here only to visit La Milagrosa the price dropped to $5. We then asked where we could find her, and as he pocketed the money he waved his hand in a general direction and said: "Look for the flowers."

Not only are there flowers but scores of 8x12 marble plaques carved with the names of people thanking her especially for her help in having children but also resolving other problems they've had.