A Roman Necropolis and the Via Sepulcral
The Plaça Vila de Madrid is a pleasant residential square located on Carrer de la Canuda on the Barri Gòtic side of La Rambla de Canaletes, right at the top of Barcelona’s famous Ramblas close to Plaça de Catalunya.
The square was laid out in the 1950s on the site of the convent of Santa Teresa de les Carmelites of Barcelona, which had been destroyed by fire during the Spanish Civil War, and during the excavations the most important burial site from the Roman city of Barcino was uncovered.
A raised walkway provides views of 70 tombs dating from the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, and reveals how the Romans built their cemeteries outside the city walls.
The tombs are arranged along either side of the Roman road and in a line, almost like a retinue that would bring the deceased closer to the afterlife.