Parts of the century-old ship found five meters underground in Barcelona

The remains of a ship dating back to the 15th or 16th centuries have been discovered five meters below sea level on an empty lot around the Catalan capital’s Ciutadella Park.

Archaeologists uncovered the vessel, now named ‘The Ciutadella I’, during the final stages of an excavation carried out ahead of construction work on a new parking house.

The portion of ‘the Ciutadella I’ found 5.65 meters underground is part of the hull, measuring ten meters in length and three meters in width.

To Catalan media, Santi Palacios, director of the excavation team, described the find as “exceptional,” noting that “it’s not every day we come across a ship of these dimensions.”

This is only the second time a ship has been found in the city. The first was in 2008, when ‘The Barceloneta I’ was found close to the city’s Estació de França train station.

‘Ciutadella I’ was first discovered in mid-April as part of an archeological excavation that began in March 2023.

In the field of underwater archeology, this type of finding is known as a ‘derelict’, a sunken or abandoned vessel buried under layers of sediment over time.

The remains include a structure composed of around thirty frames, specifically the lateral ribs of the ship, and at least seven strakes of the wooden planks that once covered the hull, which is a typical construction method of the medieval Mediterranean.

'Exceptional' insights into Barcelona's old port

Over the coming months, radiocarbon (C-14) and resin analysis will determine the age of the ship and its origins.

According to Palacios, the results will offer “exceptional” insights into the historical "context of Barcelona’s old port.”

Around 10-15% of the 7,000-square-meter site remains unexplored, and archeologists have not ruled out the possibility of uncovering other parts.

As for the restoration, conservator Delia Equiluz described the current stage as “very delicate.”

She explained that the initial cleaning phase of the shipwreck is nearly complete, and that the team will soon start extracting the components “piece by piece” and transferring them to a water tank, where “the final reassembly of the timber will begin.”

“Every piece will be removed with great care, and each piece of wood will be cleaned and submerged in water,” Equiluz said, adding that the entire restoration process can take up to four years.

Construction of new mobility hub

The shipwreck was discovered on the site of the former Mercat del Peix in Barcelona’s Sant Martí district, where the City Council and the Barcelona Municipal Services (BSM) are building a sustainable mobility services hub. The foundation and structural work are expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026.