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Origin and history

Campo Santo de Perpignan, also known as the Saint John cloister, is a medieval urban cemetery built in the early 14th century (or even late 13th century). It was built to replace the old cemetery located south of the church of Saint John the Elders, whose space was to be liberated for the construction of the new cathedral. This cloister-cimetery, the oldest of its kind still in France, was integrated into an urban religious complex including the cathedral, the church of Saint-Jean-le-Vieux and several chapels.

After the French Revolution, the cemeteries being moved out of the city walls, Campo Santo lost its funeral function. In 1825, part of the site was used to build the Major Diocesan Seminary, resulting in the destruction of the west gallery of the cloister. It was only in 1984 that the General Council of the Pyrénées-Orientales decided to release and restore the cloister, which was completed in 1991. Today, only the fiery nests (burial nests) of the north, east and south walls remain, as well as five reconstructed fires to the west.

The wooden skeleton galleries that once surrounded the cloister disappeared in the early 19th century. During the excavations and restorations, carved elements (burial stones, bas-reliefs) integrated into the fires were discovered. A funeral chapel, located on the east side, completes the whole. The remains found during the clearings, like wooden poles, were transported to the Minimes de Perpignan convent for conservation.

Campo Santo is part of the history of Perpignan, the former capital of the Kingdom of Mallorca, and bears witness to medieval funeral practices. Its sober architecture, marked by corner pillars and carved fire, reflects its use both religious and memorial. Although partially destroyed, it remains a key monument to understand urban planning and religious life in the Middle Ages.

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