Scientific Investigation of the Royal Tombs at Santes Creus Monastery

In 2010, marking the 850th anniversary of the founding of Santes Creus Monastery, a restoration project was launched for the royal pantheon, alongside a scientific investigation into the tombs it houses. The Museum of History of Catalonia coordinated multidisciplinary teams composed of historians, archaeologists, restorers, paleopathologists, and physical anthropologists to explore the tombs of King Peter II the Great, James II the Just, and Blanche of Anjou, as well as the admiral Roger de Llúria. This research provided significant insights into the lives, illnesses, and deaths of these historical figures, as well as details concerning the funerary rituals and artifacts of the era. The findings, published in 2011, focused particularly on the remains of Peter II, which were found intact, and those of Blanche of Anjou, which were in excellent condition. Notably, the analysis also disproved that the remains found in Roger de Llúria's tomb were actually his.