Cementiri de Sant Andreu de Palomar

Cementiri de Sant Andreu de Palomar is a historic municipal cemetery in northern Barcelona, in the Sant Andreu district near the border with Nou Barris. The site covers nearly 39,000 square metres and holds more than 29,000 graves. It remains an active burial ground today, but its age and architectural value also make it a place worth visiting for anyone interested in local history and funerary art.

Where did this cemetery come from?

The origins of the site go back to the Middle Ages, when the dead of the parish of Sant Andreu de Palomar were buried in the churchyard cemetery. As that ground became too small for the growing community, the authorities of the then-independent municipality of San Andrés del Palomar looked for a new location. They settled on the grounds of the former Can Calç farmhouse, land that had previously been used for agriculture. The new cemetery was consecrated and opened in 1839. It operated as an independent municipal cemetery for decades, until 1897, when the municipality of San Andrés del Palomar itself was annexed into Barcelona — from that point on, the cemetery became part of the city's network of burial grounds.

How has it changed over the years?

Between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries, the cemetery underwent several extensions and transformations. Architects involved in the work included Pere Falqués, one of the notable figures of Catalan modernist architecture, and Agustí Domingo i Verdaguer, who also designed the main entrance façade on Carrer dels Garrofers. A symbol of the cemetery's post-war modernisation is its chapel, built in an organicist style and designed by Ramon Térmens Mauri, completed in 1958 — it remains one of the most distinctive structures on the grounds today.

What can visitors see there?

The cemetery stands out for the variety of its funerary spaces. It includes a dedicated Jewish section as well as Barcelona's military cemetery, home to the Panteón del Soldado, a monument commemorating fallen soldiers. Among its avenues and tombs, visitors can also find graves of figures closely tied to the local memory and identity of the former town of San Andrés — resting places visited not only by relatives but also by those interested in the neighbourhood's history. The varied architecture of its tombs, chapels and pathways reflects more than a century and a half of development in the region's funerary art.

Frequently asked questions

Is the cemetery open to visitors? Yes. As an active municipal cemetery, it is open to the public during opening hours, and the city also organises themed guided routes focused on its history and architecture.

Why is it called "de Palomar"? The name refers to the historic, once-independent municipality of San Andrés del Palomar, on whose land the cemetery was founded in 1839, before the town was annexed by Barcelona in 1897.

What is the oldest part of the cemetery? The oldest section dates back to 1839, though the site's current appearance was shaped by later extensions carried out into the mid-20th century, including the construction of its present chapel in 1958.

Are there any notable special sections? Yes — a Jewish burial section and a military cemetery featuring a soldier's monument stand out as distinct, historically significant parts of the grounds.