To speak of the basilica of Saints Just i Pastor is to speak of the history of Christianity in Barcelona, since everything indicates that it would have been the first Christianized temple in the city after an older Roman one. The church has undergone various transformations over the centuries. The last one dates back to the 15th century, when the old Romanesque temple was demolished to make way for the current Gothic one. Much of its history is preserved in the archive located in some small but wonderful rooms and whose oldest document is a parchment dated 1173. The archive is a real gem and a great unknown.
The entire documentary collection is methodically organized and identified. Its current manager is the archivist Josep Capdevila, who dedicates hours of passion and care to the conservation of this important historical memory. He inherited the work of his father-in-law, who dedicated himself to this work between 1956 and 1991. Today, the order of the documents is impeccable despite the limitations of space and the scarce resources that the parish can dedicate beyond the personal work of Capdevila, but it has not always been so.
The file, like most of its kind, was stored haphazardly. It was not until 1916 that a vicar assigned to Sant Just i Pastor became aware of the importance of this legacy and began to classify it. However, misfortune caused a burst pipe to wet a good part of the parchments stored in a loft. They were dried one by one and everything that could be recovered was recovered.
In addition to the parchments, the archive preserves various handwritten books. They are basically songs that had been used for the choir. You can also find all the documentation on the works of the church, of the community of priests, as well as that corresponding to the various brotherhoods and associations linked to the parish. The archive is also nourished by various religious objects and even preserves a mysterious human skull.
The archive receives only a hundred inquiries a year, mostly researchers, but also individuals in search of data on their ancestors from baptism and wedding records. It is precisely among the baptismal books that Emanuel Almirall, rector of Sant Just i Pastor in 1714, took the opportunity to record some notes on the siege and subsequent capture of Barcelona by Philip V's troops. Being able to access this archive and enjoy Josep Capdevila's passionate explanations end up being a great privilege.
