Ruins of 600-year-old defensive walls found in downtown Barcelona. Take a look
Just off a main thoroughfare in Barcelona, Spain, countless passersby walked over a set of 600-year-old ruins. The medieval walls were buried under the plaza and forgotten — until now.
Archaeologists excavated a section of the Plaça del Teatre as part of a downtown redevelopment project, the Barcelona Archaeology Service said in a July 11 news release. This relatively small square is along the central La Rambla road and across from a theater.
During the excavation, archaeologists uncovered the ruins of a 600-year-old defensive wall.
A photo shows an archaeologist standing next to the medieval stone structure.
The wall was built between the 13th and 14th centuries to protect Barcelona during conflicts with France and the neighboring Kingdom of Castile, archaeologists said.
Archaeologists identified part of the recently unearthed ruins as the Portal de Trentaclaus, or Portal dels Ollers, an entryway known from historic maps, the Institute of Culture of Barcelona said in a July 11 news release.
During the medieval period, the area surrounding the doorway was a hub for pottery production.
The Barcelona Archaeology Service shared another photo of the ruins in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Archaeologists also found a trio of 19th century coins during the construction work. A photo shows these rusty, blue-green coins.
Excavations are ongoing. Archaeologists hope to find more of the 600-year-old walls.
Barcelona is along the eastern coast of Spain and a roughly 400-mile drive northeast from Madrid.
Google Translate was used to translate the news releases and social media post from the Barcelona Archaeology Service and the Institute of Culture of Barcelona.
This story was originally published July 12, 2024 at 11:58 AM with the headline "Ruins of 600-year-old defensive walls found in downtown Barcelona. Take a look."
