Montjuïc Cemetery, known in
Catalan as Cementiri del Sud-oest or Cementiri de Montjuïc, is located on one of the rocky slopes of
Montjuïc hill in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
.
History
It was opened on 17 March 1883 by the city of
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
as its main cemetery, supplanting the older cemetery at
Poblenou in the east. It now contains over one million burials and cremation ashes in 150,000 plots, niches and mausolea and is operated by Cementiris de Barcelona S.A.
The city became heavily industrialised during the 19th century and its economic growth led Barcelona becoming the centre of
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...
and a major city of
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. The growth in population led to an increased demand for burial facilities, and a location was chosen on the slopes of Montjuïc, away from the pressures of housing development. The steep slopes of the hillside give Montjuïc its special character, with winding paths and terraced niches looking seawards over the harbour.
The cemetery contains one
Commonwealth war grave,
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
Private Charles Hill (d. 1941) of the
Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders who died during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
Monument design
The timing of the cemetery and its memorials coincided with several artistic and design movements; its early monuments are inspired by
classic
A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of Masterpiece, lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or Literary merit, highest quality, class, or rank – something that Exemplification, exemplifies its ...
and
Gothic styles, while those of the
Fin de siècle
"''Fin de siècle''" () is a French term meaning , a phrase which typically encompasses both the meaning of the similar English idiom '' turn of the century'' and also makes reference to the closing of one era and onset of another. Without co ...
exhibit the influence of the
Art-Nouveau design movement. In
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...
that style developed into
Modernisme, as it was known in the
Catalan language
Catalan () is a Western Romance languages, Western Romance language and is the official language of Andorra, and the official language of three autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous communities in eastern Spain: Catalonia, the Balearic I ...
.
Notable interments
*
Isaac Albéniz (1860–1909), virtuoso pianist, composer, and conductor
*
Victoria de los Ángeles (1923–2005), operatic lyric soprano and recitalist
*
Jacint Verdaguer (1845–1902) writer, regarded as one of the greatest poets of Catalan literature and a prominent literary figure of the
Renaixença, a
cultural revival movement of the late Romantic era
*
Francisco Ascaso (1901–1936), anarchist
*
Hans Beimler (1895–1936), active member of the German Communist Party and a
deputy in the
Reichstag
*
Joaquín Blume (1933–1959), gymnast
*
Francesc Cambó (1876–1947), politician, founder and leader of the autonomist party ''
Lliga Regionalista''
*
Josep Carner (1884–1970), poet, journalist, playwright and translator
*
Ramon Casas (1866–1932), artist
*
Ildefonso Cerdá (1815–1876), architect who designed the 19th-century "extension" of Barcelona called the ''
Eixample''
*
Lluís Companys (1882–1940), President of Catalonia from 1934 and during the Spanish Civil War
*
Buenaventura Durruti (1896–1936), anarchist revolutionary in the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
*
Antonio Escobar (1879–1940), Army general
*
Josep Lluís Facerías (1920–1957), politician
*
Jaume Ferran i Clua (1851–1929), microbiologist
*
Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia (1859–1909), anarchist pedagogue
*
Joan Gamper (1877–1930), Swiss football pioneer, versatile athlete and club president
*
Àngel Guimerà (1845–1924), writer
*
Francesc Layret (1880–1920), politician
*
Anselmo Lorenzo (1841–1914), politician and anarchist
*
Francesc Macià (1859–1933), First President of
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...
and formerly an officer in the Spanish Army
*
Pascual Madoz (1806–1870), politician, statistician
*
Enriqueta Martí (1868–1913), Spanish child serial killer, kidnapper, and
procuress of children
*
Ana María Matute (1925–2014), writer
*
Raquel Meller (1888–1962),
diseuse
A monologist (), or interchangeably monologuist (), is a solo artist who recites or gives dramatic readings from a monologue, soliloquy, poetry, or work of literature, for the entertainment of an audience. The term can also refer to a person w ...
,
cuplé, and
tonadilla singer and actress
*
Lluís Millet (1867–1941), composer, musician and co-founder of
Orfeó Català
*
Joan Miró (1893–1983), artist
*
Federico Mompou (1893–1987),
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and def ...
and pianist
*
Joan Salvat-Papasseit (1894–1924), poet
*
Ángel Pestaña (1886–1937), politician
*
Marcelo H. del Pilar
Marcelo Hilario del Pilar y Gatmaitán (; ; August 30, 1850July 4, 1896), commonly known as Marcelo H. del Pilar and also known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Pláridel,.''Filipinos in History: Volume II'', National Historical Commission o ...
(1850–1896), Filipino propagandist and writer. His remains were exhumed and returned to the Philippines on 3 December 1920.
*
José María de Porcioles (1904–1993), mayor of Barcelona, Catalonia
*
Enric Prat de la Riba (1870–1917), politician
*
Salvador Puig Antich (1948–1974), revolutionary, militant anarchist
*
Francisco de Paula Rius y Taulet (1833–1890), politician, mayor of Barcelona in four different non-consecutive periods during the
Restoration
*
Montserrat Roig (1946–1991), writer
*
Constantino Romero (1947–2013), TV and radio host and actor
*
Carlos Ruiz Zafón (1964–2020), novelist
*
Santiago Rusiñol (1861–1931), painter, poet, and playwright
*
Josep Maria de Sagarra (1894–1961), writer
*
Salvador Seguí Rubinat (1887–1923), anarchist
*
Jacint Verdaguer (1845–1902), writer, poet
*
Ricardo Zamora (1901–1978), Spanish footballer
*
Graciano López Jaena (1856-1896), Filipino Orator, Journalist, reformist and Hero
See also

*
Burials at Montjuïc Cemetery
*
Poblenou Cemetery
*
List of burial places of classical musicians
References
External links
Essay on Barcelona's graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Montjuic Cemetery
1883 establishments in Spain
Cemeteries in Catalonia
Roman Catholic cemeteries in Spain
Buildings and structures in Barcelona
Sants-Montjuïc
Tourist attractions in Barcelona
Modernisme architecture in Barcelona
Modernisme sculpture
Art Nouveau cemeteries
Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries in Spain
Montjuïc
Cemeteries established in the 1880s