Hidden Beneath Barcelona’s Streets: Workers Unearth a Mysterious 33-Foot Medieval Shipwreck During Garage Construction
The Discovery Of A Medieval Ship In Downtown Barcelona
Barcelona City Council Archaeology ServiceArchaeologists working on the Ciutadella I shipwreck, which was found beneath the site of Barcelona’s former fish market.
As the Barcelona City Council Archaeology Service explained in a statement, the medieval shipwreck was discovered in April 2025. This 15th or 16th-century vessel was discovered near Barcelona’s former fish market, Mercat de Peix, which is being developed into a center for biomedicine and biodiversity.
A “derelict” — a ship or shipwreck covered by sediment over time — the remains were discovered 18 feet beneath the ground. It’s 33 feet long and 10 feet wide, contains 30 curved wooden ribs and at least seven hull planks, and is held together with both wooden and iron nails.
This kind of construction is known as “skeleton” construction. It was popular during the Middle Ages in the Mediterranean and throughout the rest of Europe starting in the mid-15th century.
Barcelona City Council Archaeology ServiceAn overhead view of the shipwreck, which could now provide valuable information about medieval shipbuilding methods.
The ship, which has now been dubbed Ciutadella I, after the nearby Ciutadella Park, is in very fragile condition. The Barcelona Archaeology Service reports that its wooden frame, soaked with water, has been kept covered with sand to prevent it from drying out and degrading. Eventually, the ship will be transferred to a special facility that can properly protect and preserve it.
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