Part of the Barcelona that was erased by Via Laietana is unearthed

BarcelonaOn 10 March 1908, many houses in the Barcelona neighbourhoods of the Cathedral, Ribera, San Pedro, Santa Caterina and Sant Cugat del Rec were demolished to make way for the Via Laietana. Many residents were displaced far from the city centre, and others, such as Francisco Cambó, made a lot of money from the construction of this new urban road. 595 properties were affected, of which 270 were completely demolished (with around 2,200 homes in total) between 1908 and 1913. It is estimated that the works affected 10,000 people. There are photographs of the last days before the works that completely changed the urban landscape but not much documentation. Archaeology can help to construct another story, because the Barcelona Archaeology Service has unearthed five of these houses.

The redevelopment works on Carrer de la Fusteria, between Carrer Ample and Carrer de la Mercè, have brought to light remains of medieval origin from the five houses, as well as their evolution until their demolition. The ground floor and some basements have been uncovered, along with a section of the floor of the Encants vaults, which were formerly known as the Fusters vault, and were also demolished in 1909. The Salvador family lived in the house at number 1 Carrer Fusteria in the 17th and 18th centuries. They were apothecaries who collected seeds, coins, ceramics... and even made a small museum. However, there are practically no traces left because a basement was built in the 19th century. There are indications that there was also craft activity in the other houses. "In medieval times, when it was known as the Fusters' vault, there were many craftsmen who dedicated themselves to repairing and building boats and also wine barrels, because the shipyards were very close," says archaeologist Toni Fernández. The team will continue excavating to find out more about the past of these houses.

An image of Saint Anthony of Padua

Among the most notable finds is a 14th-century ceramic pavement, as well as various medieval and post-medieval structures, including wells, tanks and sewage networks. Archaeological materials have also been recovered, such as ceramics from different periods, architectural and decorative elements from the demolished houses, metals, remains of fauna and glass. One of the most spectacular pieces, due to its good state of preservation, is an image of Saint Anthony of Padua, probably from the 18th century, which was found on the pavement of one of the houses. The remains of this block—which dates back to the 14th century—can be chronologically linked to those of the Angel fountain, built at the same time to supply the Ribera neighbourhood and which was located in March of last year. This fountain disappeared at some point in the 18th century, because it no longer appears in the documentation of the time. In fact, before it was unearthed it was believed to have been destroyed when in fact it was covered up. The fountain was neighboured, on the east side of the square, by the church of San Sebastián, which was built in 1507 in gratitude after the plague epidemic of 1506.