One of the most interesting and unusual museums in Barcelona has to be ‘Museu de Carrosses Fúnebres’, which showcases some of the most magnificent funeral carriages from the 18th and 19th centuries.

The collection was launched in 1970 by the then, municipal funeral parlour manager Cristóbal Torra, in an attempt to preserve these great works of art and to honour the history of Spanish funeral customs and thus saving them for posterity.

Within the museum you will find a variety of ornate funeral hearses demonstrating how previous generations would transport the dead to their final resting place. It was in the 18th century when Poblenou, the first cemetery outside of the city walls was inaugurated, which meant that cadavers then needed to be transported from the city to this new burial site.

It’s the only collection of its kind in Europe and holds a wealth of artistic symbolism and cultural heritage. The attention to detail and incredible craftmanship, which has gone into designing these historic carriages is really quite incredible. Decorating the beautiful baroque rococo hearses and coaches designed to carry mourners, you will see an array of interesting funeral iconography including winged hourglasses reminding one of the limited time we have, carved owls representing true wisdom and the Greek letters Alpha and Omega connoting the beginning and end of life. 

The museum is completely free to enter and invites visitors to step back in time to learn how funeral rituals and traditions have evolved over generations. 

Please note the museum is only usually open on weekends.