Remains of five medieval houses found during Via Laiteana boulevard renovations in Barcelona

The remains of five houses of medieval origin were found during Via Laiteana boulevard renovations at Carrer de la Fusteria in Barcelona.  

The works on the street uncovered the first floor (ground floor) and some basements of these houses, which allowed archeologists to document the evolution of the building until their demolition in 1909.  

Some materials found were ceramics from different periods, the architectural and decorative elements of the demolished houses, including metals, remains of animals and glass.  

An image from Saint Anthony of Padua, probably from the 18th century, was also found in one of the houses.  

Saint Anthony is one of the Catholic Church's most popular saints. The image is the biggest surprise found by archeologists, mostly due to discovering the piece as part of the flooring.  

Laia Macià, an archeologist from the Barcelona archeology service, said that a set of polychrome tiles like this "usually end up on the walls, not on the floor." 

Research has also established that one of the houses could have been one of the first museum collections documented on the peninsula. 

Another outstanding find is a ceramic pavement from the 14th century. 

The pavement is related to the remains of the Font de l'Àngel fountain, based on pieces previously found in Plaça de Correus. Although the structure recovered was mainly ornamental, its historical importance is noteworthy.  

The structure was one of medieval Barcelona's few public fountains, responsible for supplying water to the port. 

The archeological area covers a total area of 239 square meters, with a length of 36.7 meters and a width of 6.5 meters.  

Works on Carrer de la Fusteria are also allowing archaeologists to recover relevant historical information about the layout of the Catalan capital.  

The archeological work is directed by Toni Fernandez, Spanish archeologist, under the supervision of the Barcelona Archeology Service (ICUB) and the Archaeological and Paleontological Heritage Service of the Catalan government. 

Work will continue until the documentation of all the remains is complete and all the subsequent analysis is carried out.  

Barcelona, a city of many years of antiquity 

According to Macià, finding archeological remains was "expected," since "Barcelona is an ancient city."  

Despite expecting to find remains from the past, "you never know to what extent urban development will have left structures that can be found," Macià said. 

Written sources only go back so far, she added, leaving archeologists unsure of what they will uncover.