Barcelona is a city built on top of many cities. Beneath the streets of the current Gothic Quarter, among medieval buildings, squares and shops, the traces of Barcino, the ancient Roman city beneath Barcelona that became one of the starting points of the present-day city, can still be found. Part of that urban settlement remains literally underground and can be visited through different archaeological sites scattered throughout Ciutat Vella.
Walking around Barcelona therefore makes it possible to do something quite unusual: go from a contemporary street into a space that preserves streets, homes, workshops, walls and other elements from almost two thousand years ago. The main archaeological complex is located beneath the Plaça del Rei, where the Museu d’Història de Barcelona (MUHBA) allows visitors to explore part of the ancient Roman colony and understand how the city was organised.
But Barcino is not limited to this site. The Domus de Sant Honorat, the Roman funerary road at plaça Vila de Madrid and the columns of the ancient Temple of Augustus complete the journey through Roman Barcelona and reveal how that small colony was transformed over the centuries.
If you want to discover this less obvious side of Barcelona, you can already book your transfer to Barcelona with ShuttletoSun. The shared transfer services and private transfer services, affordable and sustainable, allow you to travel to Barcelona from Barcelona Airport, the Port of Barcelona, Girona Airport, Reus Airport and Camp de Tarragona AVE train station.
What was Barcino and where was the Roman city located?
The ancient Barcino, whose full name was Colonia Iulia Augusta Faventia Paterna Barcino, was a Roman colony founded in the 1st century BC. Its urban centre was located in the area that today occupies much of the Gothic Quarter, within the current Ciutat Vella.
It was not a large metropolis comparable to Rome, but over several centuries it developed a solid urban and economic structure. Its layout was organised around streets and buildings that followed the Roman urban model, while the walls delimited and protected the colony’s centre.
One of the most interesting aspects of Roman Barcelona is precisely the possibility of observing how its structures changed over time. The remains preserved beneath the city show constructions from different periods, from the earliest stages of Barcino to Late Antiquity, when some urban spaces took on new functions.
A Roman domus beneath the current Gothic Quarter
Another site that helps us understand how the inhabitants of Barcino lived is the Domus de Sant Honorat. Beneath the current carrer de Sant Honorat, the remains of a Roman house built in the 4th century AD are preserved.
The house had a peristylum, a central porticoed space that functioned as a garden and around which different rooms were arranged. Decorative elements such as polychrome mosaics and paintings have also been preserved, along with the remains of private baths. Its location close to the forum and its dimensions suggest that it belonged to a prominent figure in the city.
The visit offers a different perspective from that of the Plaça del Rei complex. While there it is possible to better understand the urban structure and economic activities, at Sant Honorat visitors can get closer to the domestic life of an affluent family in ancient Barcino.
The particularity of the site is that the different historical layers overlap. Medieval elements linked to Barcelona’s former Jewish quarter are also preserved in the same location, demonstrating how the same urban space was reused during different periods.
Remember that you can already book your transfer to Barcelona, with ShuttletoSun. The shared transfer services and private transfer services allow you to travel to Barcelona from the airport of Barcelona, the Port of Barcelona, Girona Airport, Reus Airport and Camp de Tarragona AVE train station.
The walls, the forum and the Temple of Augustus
Roman presence can also be discovered while walking through the streets of the historic centre. The ancient Roman walls of Barcelona are one of the most recognisable elements of Barcino, and some of their remains are still part of the current urban landscape.
The forum was one of the central spaces of the Roman city, linked to political, religious and public life. Archaeological research continues to provide information about its configuration. Excavations in the historic centre have made it possible to better understand the organisation of this area and expand knowledge of the topography of the ancient city.
Another essential remnant is the columns of the Temple of Augustus, one of the best-known symbols of Roman Barcelona. Their presence makes it possible to imagine the importance that religious and representative spaces had within the colony.
For those who want to extend their visit, there are also routes specifically dedicated to the topography and heritage of Barcino, connecting different archaeological sites throughout the historic centre.
A Roman city that is still part of Barcelona
The history of Barcino did not end when Roman administration disappeared.
Its streets, buildings and urban spaces were transformed and reused over the centuries. Precisely for this reason, visiting its remains allows us to observe something more interesting than an isolated ancient city: it allows us to understand how different periods have been built on top of one another.
The underground of Barcelona preserves part of this history, while the current streets continue to develop across the same territory. From craft workshops to private homes, as well as the walls, forum and religious spaces, the archaeological remains help reconstruct a city that changed over time.
For those who enjoy history, archaeology and heritage, following the traces of Barcino is a way of exploring the historic centre from a different perspective. You can plan your visit by starting beneath the Plaça del Rei and then continue through the different Roman remains that are still integrated into the city.
Do not forget to book your transfer to Barcelona with ShuttletoSun. The shared transfer services and private transfer services allow you to travel to Barcelona from the Barcelona Airport, the Port of Barcelona, Girona Airport, Reus Airport and Camp de Tarragona AVE train station.
