> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://barna.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Medieval Burial Fears Delay Sant Andreu Garden Works - URL: https://barna.news/medieval-burial-fears-delay-sant-andreu/ - Published: 2026-09-05T07:02:56.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-05T07:02:56.000Z - Description: Archaeological concerns over possible medieval remains have delayed a €1.6m renovation of gardens in Sant Andreu de Palomar. - Author: Brandon Watea - Tags: Urban Development ## Heritage Groups Demand Surveys Before Digging The Barcelona City Council's planned renovation of Les Dones de la Motor Ibèrica gardens in Sant Andreu de Palomar has been complicated by claims of possible medieval funerary remains beneath the site. The Ignasi Iglésias Study Center (CEII), a local historical research group, and the political party Junts per Barcelona have formally objected to the project, demanding archaeological surveys before any earthmoving begins. Jordi Petit, historian and president of the CEII, stated that the area likely contains remnants of the old parish cemetery of Sant Andreu, which operated until the 19th century when it was relocated. Although only visible niches were moved, medieval burials may still lie undisturbed. > There are historical and archaeological indications that justify the need to exhaust preventive measures before intervening on the subsoil. This quote comes from allegations submitted by Junts councilors Jordi Martí Galbis, Josep Rius, and Ximena Gadea. They argue that the project documentation acknowledges the site's "high archaeological potential" but fails to include a systematic campaign of preliminary archaeological surveys to assess the presence, depth, and condition of any remains. ## City Plans Climate-Resilient Upgrade The €1.6 million renovation, scheduled to begin in November under the city’s Pla Endreça programme, aims to transform the gardens into a climate refuge with improved accessibility, new trees, vegetated flowerbeds, sustainable drainage, and LED lighting, including monumental illumination for the Chapel of the Reapers. [According to the Barcelona City Council](https://www.barcelona.cat/infobarcelona/en/revamps-and-improvements-to-several-green-spaces-in-the-city-with-the-pla-endreca%5F1326599.html?ref=barna.news), the plan includes a preliminary excavation with archaeological supervision and monitoring during deeper digs, particularly for tree planting. Despite these assurances, the CEII argues that the proposed ground lowering, up to half a metre, is insufficient to rule out buried remains. Petit called for four one-and-a-half-metre surveys near the chapel and church, noting that bones possibly dating to the medieval period were found during L1 metro construction in the 1960s at nearby Plaça d'Orfila. --- ### Protected Site With Deep Historical Roots The Chapel of the Reapers, attached to the parish church of Sant Andreu de Palomar, is a declared *Bé Cultural d'Interès Nacional* (Cultural Asset of National Interest) by the Generalitat, as confirmed in a [resolution dated 3 July](https://govern.cat/salapremsa/notes-premsa/421901/govern-declara-bcin-capella-dels-segadors-sant-andreu-del-palomar?ref=barna.news). The protected area includes the surrounding public space, Les Dones de la Motor Ibèrica gardens, due to its role in framing views of the chapel. Petit also noted that an 1833 map records dwellings in the vicinity, and while traces of the Rec Comtal canal might exist, they are more likely located along Cinca Street. No prior archaeological surveys have been conducted in this historic sector, where a 10th-century Romanesque temple once stood before the current church was built. City sources confirm that Barcelona d'Infraestructures Municipals (BIMSA) and the Barcelona Archaeology Service are reviewing the allegations, which could delay final approval of the project. The garden redevelopment coincides with a separate €300,000 restoration of the Chapel of the Reapers, which began in March after an agreement between the city, the Archdiocese of Barcelona, and the local parish. Junts has previously criticised those works as a "botch job", claiming they disregard local heritage input. Residents and visitors can learn more about the historical significance of the site through interpretive signage honouring the 300 women from Motor Ibérica who occupied the church in 1976 in a landmark act of social protest, a story now memorialised in the garden’s name. --- *Primary sources:* [*govern.cat*](https://govern.cat/salapremsa/notes-premsa/421901/govern-declara-bcin-capella-dels-segadors-sant-andreu-del-palomar?ref=barna.news)*,* [*patrimoni.gencat.cat*](https://patrimoni.gencat.cat/en/services/lloguer-despais?page=6&ref=barna.news)*,* [*Barcelona City Council*](https://www.barcelona.cat/infobarcelona/en/revamps-and-improvements-to-several-green-spaces-in-the-city-with-the-pla-endreca%5F1326599.html?ref=barna.news)*. Reported by totbarcelona.cat, decidim.barcelona, Tot Barcelona.* --- ### Related on Barna.News - [Construction Starts on New Mossos HQ in Sant Martí](https://barna.news/construction-starts-on-new-mossos-hq-in/) - [Barcelona Council Allocates €10m for Monument Repairs](https://barna.news/barcelona-council-allocates-10m-for/) - [L'Hospitalet plans 60,000m² of new green space](https://barna.news/l-hospitalet-plans-60-000m2-of-new/) - [1,125 Homes Planned for New Clínic Campus Area](https://barna.news/1-125-homes-planned-for-new-clinic/)