Centuries of ship graffiti cataloged in Catalonia

Gemma García, a researcher in Barcelona, Spain, cataloged hundreds of historical ship graffiti found on the walls of castles, churches, and monasteries in Catalonia.

García began this project in 2016, working with the Museu Marítim de Barcelona and the Observatorio Permanente de Historia y Cultura Marítima del Mediterráneo. She identified and analyzed 227 graphic expressions of boats, dating from ancient times to the contemporary period, classifying them by the type of vessel, location, and historical context.

The research revealed five categories of nautical drawings. Some served as religious ex-votos for protection, like a ship depicted in Tarragona Cathedral. Others represented desired freedom within prison settings, while still others functioned as visual records or sketches of vessels. García also noted a recurring pattern of depictions of Noah’s Ark within Cistercian monasteries, symbolizing salvation.

This study is the first to focus specifically on ship graffiti in Catalonia, building on previous research about different types of graffiti in Spain, France, Italy, and the Balearic Islands. García hopes the catalog will help preserve these often-overlooked historical markings, as some have already disappeared since the inventory began. She recently helped protect a 17th-century engraving in the Museu Marítim de Barcelona with a protective acrylic panel.

Her doctoral thesis on the subject will soon be available as a digital book on the museum’s website, and García believes the inventory could be expanded to other regions of Spain and beyond.