What began as a routine elevator installation led to what archaeologists call one of Barcelona’s most significant Roman-era discoveries in decades. A monumental section of Barcino’s original Roman forum, the city’s ancient predecessor, was unearthed beneath a hotel in the heart of the Gothic Quarter. This remarkable find is set to rewrite Barcelona’s earliest urban history.
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Archaeologists made the find during expansion work at the Gran Hotel Barcino, located inside the historic Casa Requesens. A project that began in July 2023 for a new lift soon evolved into a complex three-year archaeological intervention. This revealed a vast, 42-square-metre pavement of impeccably preserved stone slabs dating back to the city’s founding years.
From Elevator Shaft to Ancient Plaza
Crafted from large slabs of Montjuïc stone, the uncovered pavement dates to between 15 and 10 BC. This places it firmly within the foundational period of the Roman colony of Barcino. Experts have expressed surprise at the sheer scale and quality of the construction. Some precisely laid stone slabs measure up to 149 centimetres long, 118 centimetres wide, and between 18 and 35 centimetres thick.
Such monumental public works were typical of major Roman civic projects, designed to create a stable, impressive surface over uneven ground. However, no pavement of this size or quality had previously been found in the city. This discovery, deep within the historic core of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, adds another layer to the area’s already rich history.
Rewriting Barcelona’s Roman Blueprint
The find’s most profound implication is its reorientation of the city’s historical map. Like most Roman cities, Barcino was organised around two main axes: the cardo maximus (north–south) and the decumanus maximus (east–west). For decades, historians believed the city’s forum, its administrative and civic heart, aligned with the cardo, running through the area now occupied by the Palace of the Generalitat of Catalonia.
However, this new evidence turns that theory on its head. The stone slabs’ orientation runs parallel to the decumanus, suggesting the forum ran perpendicular to the sea, not parallel. This seemingly simple shift has major implications for understanding the ancient Roman city’s layout and priorities, as the forum’s new location fundamentally rewrites Barcelona’s ancient history.
“This is a unique find in Barcelona, both for its age and its function,” Xavier Maese of the Barcelona Archaeology Service told reporters. “For years, we thought the Roman forum ran through the area of the Palau de la Generalitat. Now we see that it turns 90 degrees from being parallel to the sea to being perpendicular.”
Both the Catalan government and the Barcelona City Council have accepted this revised interpretation. They have also confirmed plans to update the city’s museum displays, including those at the Barcelona City History Museum (MUHBA), to reflect the new understanding.
A Model of Public-Private Collaboration
City officials have also highlighted the unusual and successful collaboration that made the site’s preservation possible. While municipal and regional authorities supervised the archaeological intervention, the hotel itself financed the entire excavation. After detecting the remains, the hotel’s management adapted its renovation plans to ensure the site’s protection.
Barcelona’s Culture Councillor, Xavier Marcé, praised the project as a rare and exemplary alignment between private development and heritage preservation-a model he hopes can be replicated. It serves as a poignant reminder that the city’s modern landscape is built directly atop its past, with discoveries frequently made during construction, such as the medieval ovens recently found beneath a future health centre in El Raval.
According to a report by Catalan News, the ancient forum will be integrated into the hotel’s breakfast room. While the space will remain privately owned and not permanently open to the public, the hotel has agreed to offer periodic guided tours in coordination with the City Council. This will allow residents and visitors a glimpse into Barcino’s origins.
