Work in Plaça Gardunya uncovers an old cemetery
The work being carried out in Jardins del Doctor Fleming, in the district of Ciutat Vella, have unearthed some human remains dating back to the 18th century. The remains correspond to burials in the historical funeral site of the former Hospital de la Santa Creu, an area which was known by the name of El Corralet.
Eighteen funerary units have been found so far, holding the remains of 21 different individuals, including men, women and children. The remains found consist of fully or still partially intact skeletons, a circumstance indicating that after being buried the bodies were not transferred, at least not individually.
The remains come from simple burials in simple graves with wooden coffins, in which rosaries, medals and other personal objects have been found. The find helps affirm that the Corralet cemetery was used for longer than was thought, including after burials in the urban nucleus were prohibited by a decree from Carles III in 1775.
The Corralet site was located by the anatomy classroom and the morgue (where the Teatre Anatòmic stands today), confirming the link between the funeral site and medical and anatomical education. These archaeological discoveries provide information on Barcelona’s social and healthcare reality from the 17th to 19th century, a time when there was a high demographic density and epidemics constantly occurred.
The Hospital de la Santa Creu was founded in 1401 by the Consell de Cent to unify the city’s medieval hospitals. It was enlarged over the centuries with the Convalescent Home and the Anatomy Classroom, demonstrating the importance of this site for healthcare and science in Barcelona at that time.
