An ancient cemetery linked to the Hospital de la Santa Creu has appeared during archaeological excavations in the center of Barcelona. The redevelopment works of the gardens of Doctor Fleming and Plaça de la Gardunya, in the district of Ciutat Vella, have given with a historical finding, the remains of an old cemetery of the eighteenth century, known as the Corralet, linked to this historic hospital.
So far the Servei d’Arqueologia de Barcelona has documented 21 bodies through skeletal remains, of different ages and sexes -men, women and children-.
According to the archaeologists in a statement, many of these skeletons remain partially or fully articulated, indicating that the bodies were not moved after burial, or at least not individually.
The burials located are simple tombs, created with wooden coffins, inside which personal objects such as rosaries, medals and other religious elements of the time have been found.
A historic cemetery in the center of Barcelona
This discovery confirms that the Corralet cemetery was in use for longer than previously thought, even after King Charles III prohibited burials within the city center by decree in 1775.
The Corralet was located next to the old anatomy classroom and the hospital morgue. Today it houses the Anatomical Theater.
The Hospital de la Santa Creu, founded in 1401 by the Consell de Cent, was a key center in the health history of the city.
Over time it incorporated new spaces such as the Casa de Convalescència and the anatomy room itself, to become a scientific and medical reference in Barcelona from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries.