The remains of five medieval houses built in the 14th century have been uncovered during urban redevelopment work in Barcelona’s central Gothic Quarter.
The discovery was made on the Carrer de la Fusteria, during work being carried out in and around the main Via Laietana boulevard.
The medieval houses were modified over the centuries until their demolition in 1909, which marked the transformation of the area to give Via Laietana its current appearance, as well as the construction of the Post Office building.
Archaeologist Toni Fernández Espinosa, who is overseeing the excavation under the supervision of the Barcelona Archaeology Service (ICUB) and the Archaeological and Paleontological Heritage Service of the Catalan government, said: ‘These findings allow us to understand how architectural structures evolved from the 14th century to the early 20th century.’
Among the most outstanding findings are ceramic tiles from the 14th century, as well as several medieval and modern structures, including wells, tanks and sanitation systems. Archaeological materials such as ceramics from different periods, architectural and decorative elements from the demolished houses, metals, remains of fauna and glass have also been recovered.
One of the most unique pieces is an image, made with polychrome tiles, of Saint Anthony of Padua, probably from the 18th century (main image, right), which was found on the floor of one of the houses.
Documentary research also shows that one of the houses could have housed one of the first museum collections registered on the Iberian peninsula.
Renovation and improvement work began back in mid-October 2023 on Via Laietana between Plaça d’Antoni Maura and Passeig Colom in Barcelona.
The work carried out over the course of the past year has uncovered several other archaeological structures that have had to be documented exhaustively, specifically in the plazas of the Correus (Post Office) and Idrissa Diallo.
Specifically, in the Plaça d’Idrissa Diallo, the remains of the cloister of the now-defunct convent of Sant Sebastià, built in 1719 and demolished for the construction of the Via Laietana, were also documented.
Also uncovered were remains of the Font de l’Àngel fountain, one of medieval Barcelona’s few public fountains. The entire archaeological area covers a total of 239 square metres, with a length of 36.7 metres and a width of 6.5 metres.
Work will continue until the documentation of all the remains is complete and all the subsequent analysis is carried out.
Main images by Toni Fernández Espinosa. Click here for a full report (in Catalan).
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