ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM

JUNE 16, 2026 09:21

Experts excavating a fourteenth-century monastery site in Barcelona have examined the bones of twenty-five people interred across eight graves, one of which is the resting place of Queen Elisenda de Montcada from the Middle Ages.

Elisenda's tomb was opened during research led by the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria Pedralbes aimed at uncovering details about her existence and the daily realities faced by women in the fourteenth century, based on a statement issued in late May by the Culture Institute of Barcelona.

Elisenda wed King James II of Aragon and Valencia at age thirty, shortly after the passing of his third spouse. While James was away from 1324 to 1327, she acted as regent of Aragon, and following his death in 1327 she resided next to the monastery for the final thirty-seven years of her life.

The project, which includes genetic analyses, dating, and material studies, began in 2024 and will continue until May 2027 as part of the monastery's 700th anniversary celebrations.

Examination of Elisenda's tomb verified that the bones placed inside the medieval wooden container were those of the queen.

Elisenda's remains, determined to be from a seventy-year-old individual, were discovered wrapped in what now appear as remnants of simple garments thought to resemble a monastic habit.

Further textiles, such as a piece composed of tinsel and silk, were recovered near the bones.

Majority of remains identified as adult women

From the other fourteenth-century graves that were opened, the statement noted, study of the bones has prompted updates to previous historical claims about who was buried in the tombs.

In the grave once linked to the Aragonese knight Artau de Foces, researchers found the bones of two women and three children, with no male remains present.

Likewise, the bones of at least nine people from various eras were uncovered inside the tomb of Francesca Saportella, the monastery's second abbess and Elisenda's niece.

Most of the twenty-five individuals were adult women, some older than typical for women in medieval times. Several children and adolescents were also found in the eight graves.

Researchers noted signs of osteoarticular conditions, pointing to metabolic issues or injuries, which could shed light on health and living standards among the high-status women of the fourteenth-century community.

Per the ministry statement, experts are performing DNA tests on bone and tooth samples from the individuals to verify identities, trace original burial locations, and check for any living relatives.

The removal of the remains also gave researchers insight into lesser-known burial customs at the medieval monastery.

Interments in textile bundles and sacks were noted along with signs of ritual items like candles and cords, plus indications of repeated reorganization and reburial across periods.

More than two hundred traces of floral and aromatic offerings, often tied to funeral rites as well as medicinal and symbolic purposes, were recovered from the eight graves.