For the locals, the cemetery is not very popular. This is certainly not because of the place itself, but because the idea that a cemetery could be a tourist attraction is disconcerting. But this is to do the cemetery an injustice - the Cementiri de Montjuïc is a park that has a lot of art history and history to offer, and boasts some very beautiful areas.

At the end of the 19th Century the city grew tremendously and the previously smaller cemeteries in the districts could not be extended. Therefore a new terrain was sought - the then little-used Montjuïc offered an ideal solution.

The cemetery was established on 17th March 1883, being officially opened by the mayor. On 19th March the first burial took place: José Fonrodona Riva a mayor from Cuba. His final resting place is open to visitors.

At the cemetery you can see the various ways in which remains are laid to rest in Spain: in a magnificent mausoleum – most of which in this cemetery are in the neo-Gothic-style, in a earth grave with ornate statues of saints, in family vaults or in the sepulchral niches, i.e. the coffins above ground in large communal graves. Up to eight graves are located here on top of each other. A commemorative plaque at the foot of the grave commemorates the deceased. Whoever was given such a resting place - magnificent mausoleum, niche or grave - surely depended mainly on how much the family members were willing to invest in the grave and its care. In particular the ground tombs and mausoleums are the special attractions of the cemetery. At the highest point of the cemetery you can see a crematorium of the Romans.

Originally the cemetery was planned as a strictly symmetrical system, but with the growth of the cemetery the steep area of Montjuic was also adapted. From 1960 onward Cementri de Conserolla was the the new main cemetery in Barcelona. Overall, in the cemetery of Montjuïc over 152,000 people are buried. Now urn burials primarily take place, and ashes may also be scattered in a special piece of woodland.

Famous people who have found their final resting place at Cementiri de Montjuïc include: the musician and composer Isaac Albeniz, the architect Ildefons Cerdà, who was murdered by the Francoist President of the Generalitat Lluís Companys, the founder of FC Barcelona Joan Gamper and the renowned painter and sculptor Joan Miro. You can download a map of the Cemetery here (PDF file).

At the cemetery office at the main entrance (Mare de Déu del Port) you can get route plans. With these you can make three 2-3 hour long tours through the cemetery, an art tour, a historical tour or a combination of both.