The Writing on the Wall

Many walls around the city have a voice. From spray paint and stickers, to posters and flags, various mediums have been used to communicate messages to passers-by. However, it’s possible that you may have strolled past one of the oldest examples of these ‘talking’ walls without noticing. Located on Carrer del Carme, at the entrance of the old hospital of Santa Creu (now home to the National Library of Catalunya), a peculiar array of inscriptions have been identified as some of the oldest examples of graffiti in Barcelona. 

On the lateral wall of the former Royal Academy of Medicine and Surgery, around the doorway that leads into the grounds of the 15th-century hospital, a selection of words, symbols and markings are carefully carved into the stone blocks. The messages are not hidden, but they are easy to see either, and even less so to decipher. The inscriptions include the letter G, an upright snake, the number 4, an inverted triangle composed of seven dots and another composed of 10, the numbers 2 and 3, and capital letters P, M and N. The word ‘poma’  (Catalan for apple) and ‘beu’ (the imperative for ‘drink’ in Catalan) are inscribed together with a drawing of a fountain and an inscription that reads ‘Fueresse luego Olivero’. Another inscription refers to the year 1539, together with an unidentified surname, beside which a woman is conveyed hanging upside down and accompanied by the phrase ‘Fuego que se apaga’. 

Local historian Elsa Plaza has worked hard on deciphering this odd collection of words and symbols. Plaza concludes that different people carved the messages at different times, and judging by the script used, they are dated to sometime between the 16th and 17th centuries. The name ‘Oliveros’ refers to the Count Duke of Oliveras, who fought against the Catalans during the Guerra dels Segadors (Catalan Revolt 1640-1659)—an unpopular figure due to his subsequent role in repressing the local population. ‘Fueresse luego Olivero’ can be interpreted as a political message against the despised count.

‘Fuego que se apaga’ (‘fire that goes out’) is thought to refer to the fire that engulfed the hospital in 1638. The hanging figure is said to refer to a local girl who was accused of destroying a bread oven in premises once located on Carrer del Carme. Regarding the letters and numbers, their significance has been attributed to the surgical students who may have entertained themselves by making inscriptions on the walls while waiting for class to commence. For example, the G and the upright snake refer to the god of medicine, Asclepius.