The tomb of Peter II, intact
Endoscopy of the tomb
The royal tombs of the Monastery of Santes Creus will be restored, including the one belonging to Peter II the Great, which has not been desecrated
The Ministry of Culture and the Media will restore the royal tombs of the Monastery of Santes Creus, on the occasion of the monument's 850th anniversary, which will be celebrated next year. The royal tombs, which date back to the 14th century, belong to King Peter II the Great, King James II and his wife Blanca d'Anjou, and Admiral Roger de Llúria. As part of the project, architectural, archaeological and sculptural work will be carried out on the tombs.
Of the different tasks involved, the opening of the tomb of Peter II the Great for its restoration and study is particularly noteworthy, since the previous studies that have been carried out can confirm that it would be the only royal tomb from the medieval period that has not been desecrated.
Thus, after remaining intact for over 700 years, the restoration project will be a unique opportunity to obtain unprecedented information on the king's life and body (DNA, physical characteristics, diseases he suffered from during his life, cause of death, diet, etc.) as well as on the royal burial rituals of that era and the royal dress, weapons and objects that could be found.
Peter II the Great (Valencia, 1240 - Vilafranca del Penedes, 1285), son of James I and Violant of Hungary, was the monarch of Catalonia, Aragon and Valencia (from 1276 to 1285). He is considered to be responsible for the Mediterranean expansion of the Catalan-Aragonese Crown during the Middle Ages. He got married, at the displeasure of the papacy, with Constance of Sicily, daughter of King Manfred I. He conquered Sicily, fighting against the French and the papacy, relaxed the royal autocratic power and made the first step towards separating the Church from the political power in Europe.
Peter the Great, a unique discovery (a report by patrimoni.gencat) (cat)
