About this place
Sant Gervasi Cemetery is a burial ground in the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district of Barcelona, founded in 1853. It covers an area of 12,229 m² and holds 4,773 plots, making it a relatively modest cemetery compared to the city's largest necropolises, yet still a meaningful site for local history and funerary architecture.
How is the cemetery laid out?
The grounds are divided into two parts by a staircase that leads up to the cemetery chapel. This arrangement gives the site a clear compositional axis, with the chapel acting as a focal point reached by a raised, ceremonial passage. A two-level layout of this kind is typical of cemeteries established on uneven terrain, which is common in this part of Barcelona at the foot of the surrounding hills.
What can visitors see on the tombs?
A defining feature of Sant Gervasi Cemetery is its numerous sculptures and decorative elements, produced mainly in the eclectic style. Eclecticism in 19th- and early 20th-century funerary art combined motifs drawn from different periods and traditions — classicism, Gothic forms, and orientalizing influences among them — giving families commissioning monuments freedom to express the individual character of a tomb. At Sant Gervasi, this style is visible in the sculptural detailing found throughout the various sections of the cemetery.
Where exactly is the cemetery located?
The cemetery lies in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, one of the ten administrative districts of Barcelona, situated in the northern part of the city. Its geographic coordinates are approximately 41.4115°N, 2.1264°E.
Frequently asked questions
When was Sant Gervasi Cemetery founded? The cemetery was founded in 1853.
How large is the cemetery? It covers 12,229 m² and contains 4,773 plots.
What style are the tombs decorated in? The sculptures and ornaments on the tombs are mainly in the eclectic style.
Which district of Barcelona is the cemetery in? It is located in the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district.
How is the cemetery grounds organized? The grounds are split into two parts by a staircase leading to a centrally positioned cemetery chapel.
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