Historic Funeral Carriages museum in Montjuïc Cemetery
Public display of funeral carriages. Museum dates from 1970, moved in 2012 to its current building, within the grounds of Montjuïc Historic Cemetery
About Historic Funeral Carriages museum Montjuïc Cemetery
Montjuïc Cemetery Funeral Carriages Museum, or Museu de Carrosses Fúnebres is one of the finest collections of funeral carriages and hearses in Europe, and helps retrace the history of funeral customs in Barcelona over the past few centuries.
Montjuïc Cemetery is Barcelona's second oldest cemetery after Poblenou Cemetery.
Montjuïc Cemetery Funeral Carriages Museum History
The need for funeral carriage vehicles came about during the 18th Century with the massive population explosion in Barcelona due to the industrial revolution. This was because previously, burials were performed in the local churches within the city but now there was a need for a large cemetery to cater to the increased demand for burial space.
Poble Nou Cemetery was built first and at time was a few kilometres outside of the city, thus the need for carriages. As The population of Barcelona grew a new Cemetery was required so Montjuïc Cemetery was opened on 17th of March 1883.
The Barcelona Funeral Carriages Museum has been around since the 1970's because the then Municipal Cemeteries manger, Cristóbal Torra, decided to preserve the obsolete horse drawn hearses as they were being replaced with motorised vehicles.
The Museum was then displayed in the Sancho d'Avila Municipal funeral building (near Metro Marina) until June 2012 when it was transferred to the new custom built museum premises within Montjuïc Cemetery.
It is a unique collection of historic Funeral Carriages from the end of the 18th Century.
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