March
10
/ 2026
What started as a routine elevator shaft installation in a Barcelona hotel basement has turned into one of the most significant Roman archaeology discoveries in Spain in decades. Excavations beneath the Gran Hotel Barcino in the city's Gothic Quarter have uncovered a monumental stone pavement dating to the founding years of the Roman colony of Barcino - and the find has forced scholars to tear up nearly everything they thought they knew about the layout of ancient Barcelona. The forum, the beating civic heart of Roman urban life, was not where anyone expected it to be. The discovery was announced in late February 2026 by the Barcelona Archaeology Service (ICUB) and has been hailed by city officials and archaeologists alike
