In Ricardo Palma’s tradition, «El robo de las calaveras», the recurrent role of death and its influence on the constructions of catacombs and crypts are highlighted. For this reason, and honoring the title of this section, the main objective of this article is to offer a reflection on the funerary architecture found in the subway part of the religious constructions of the colonial period, with special attention to the Convent of San Francisco. Finally, the causes of the abandonment and subsequent change of function of this type of construction at the current time will be made known.