Barcelona royal tombs opened as researchers find wrong remains inside

Key Points:

• Researchers at the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Pedralbes in Barcelona uncovered that many medieval tombs contained remains not matching the historically assigned individuals, including multiple skeletons in single tombs.
• Unexpected findings included the tomb of Artau de Foces containing five individuals (two adult women and three children) instead of a male, and the tomb of Francesca Saportella holding at least nine later-period individuals with some showing weapon wounds, while the abbess herself was absent.
• Queen Elisenda of Montcada, founder of the monastery, was found buried in modest clothing with health conditions typical of old age; her wooden coffin remains well-preserved and dated to the medieval period.
• Archaeobotanical analysis revealed diverse funerary rites involving plants like rosemary and symbolic floral offerings, and reopened tombs contained numerous daily life objects, shedding light on 14th-century funerary culture.
• DNA testing is ongoing, with about 6% of Queen Elisenda's genome recovered so far, and all research is conducted with the nuns' approval, ensuring remains are returned to their original resting places per the queen’s will.