Bosque Bello Cemetery

Bosque Bello Cemetery is thought to have been established by the Spanish in 1798, though its oldest identifiable grave, that of French soldier Peter Bouissou de Nicar, dates from 1813. The cemetery, named from the Spanish for “beautiful woods,” is spread across 29 acres near the entrance of historic Old Town Fernandina Beach and is full of beautiful live oaks draped in Spanish moss, as well as palms and red cedar (cypress) trees. 

It is one of only a few public cemeteries in Nassau County, Florida, as most others in the area are either religiously affiliated or privately maintained for family members only. The original plot of graves is abutted by a “new” section, which was added by the city in the mid-1940s on land donated by a local couple, J.G. and Sadie Cooper. 

Both sections of the cemetery contain the graves of notable people who resided on or near Amelia Island, such as the Sisters of Saint Joseph, Catholic nuns from France who cared for the sick during the Yellow Fever epidemic; and Revolutionary and Civil War veterans. 

Bosque Bello is also the final resting place of Sollecito Salvador, a Sicilian immigrant who became known as the “Father of the Shrimping Industry,” and Domingo Acosta, who became Old Fernandina’s first Postmaster in 1821. Also buried here are members of the Traeye Family, an African-American family that lived in Old Town as free, property-owning citizens prior to the Civil War. 

Walkers, birders, and cyclists can often be found exploring Bosque Bello’s serene setting. The ancient walls surrounding some of the plots are made of oyster shells (tabby), giving the cemetery a distinctly coastal Southern character, and it’s not uncommon to find angels and other ornate carvings atop many of the gravestones. The Amelia Island Museum of History hosts occasional tours of the site’s most notable graves, with costumed interpreters showcasing the cemetery’s wealth of cultural history.