The canalization works being carried out in the central Sant Josep street in Mataró (Maresme) have revealed an 18th century hypogeum that archaeologists attribute to one of the houses that was demolished to proceed with widening the street. There was no record of this construction, very common in Mataró, which passes through the confluence of numbers 2 and 4 of the street, which was once cut by the collector that is now replaced.
The hypogeums are underground constructions associated with homes, through which a good part of the gallery is accessed and runs. They do not seem to have any specific orientation and often, at the end of the underground tunnel there is a chamber that could formerly be used as a cellar. Sometimes, a hypogeum could pass under several homes. The purpose of these constructions is unknown, as is why they stopped being used.
The team of archaeologists who follow the works in the center of Mataró believe that it could date back to the 18th century and that it remained in use until the modern collector broke it up. In Mataró there are other hypogeums documented, even on Sant Josep street itself. They are included in the catalog of the Pla General del Patrimoni Arquitectònic.
The newly discovered hypogeum shows the stairs in perfect condition but the tunnel is impassable, all located about two meters below the surface. Public works in the city of Mataró often give these types of surprises since they often come across archaeological remains, such as those from the ancient Roman Iluro.
