Photographing Poblenou Cemetery| Stefano Politi Markovina

Are you looking for some unusual places to photograph in Barcelona? Poblenou Cemetery is one of the city’s most striking and lesser-known photography locations, offering dramatic architecture, sculpture, and atmosphere.

When you think of architectural photography in Barcelona, Gaudí’s name immediately comes to mind, without a doubt. However, besides the world-famous examples of architecture that Barcelona inherited from Gaudí and other Catalan Modernist architects, you can still find unique and lesser-known places in the city that offer excellent photographic opportunities.

The old Poblenou Cemetery is one of those places you should not miss if you are looking for an unusual sightseeing location to photograph in Barcelona.

At the beginning of the 19th century, an Italian architect was commissioned to design this cemetery, located in the Poblenou district. The cemetery is rich in individual marble monuments and family mausoleums. It was specifically designed to reflect the aesthetic tastes and aspirations of the wealthy bourgeois class and merchants of the time. Famous local politicians, writers, and musicians are buried here, and many of their graves are impressive and fascinating examples of funerary art.

In fact, the cemetery can be considered an open-air museum of funerary art, filled with marble sculptures and beautiful corners. It is a place full of photographic opportunities.

Among the must-see sculptures is the famous Beso de la Muerte (The Kiss of Death).

This sculpture, apparently created by the Catalan artist Jaume Barba, is a small masterpiece. The bright marble sculpture depicts death, curiously represented as a winged skeleton, placing a kiss on the forehead of a handsome young man. The scene feels romantic and horrifying at the same time and is deeply hypnotic.

While the kiss seems to convey a certain eroticism, the sculpture is also unsettling and repulsive. You can find many other interesting sculptures in the same area where The Kiss of Death is located.

PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS

1. Consider the light

Light transforms stone into drama. The cemetery’s layouts and colonnades respond well to different lighting conditions:

• Golden hour (early morning / late afternoon): warm, directional light that enhances textures and creates long shadows.

• Soft overcast skies: ideal for moodier, more even exposures without harsh contrasts.

• Backlit scenes: try silhouette compositions against archways or statues.

Tip: Check local sunrise/sunset times to plan your visit for optimal light.

2. Focus on Details and Textures

• Close-ups of weathered inscriptions and carved reliefs tell stories time has worn into the stone.

• Patterns in iron gates and crosses make excellent abstract studies.

• Look for areas where nature intersects with man-made elements—moss on marble, cracks filled with leaves.

3. Use Leading Lines and Framing

The cemetery’s layout—with parallel lanes and rows of tombs—lends itself to:

• Leading lines: use paths and walls to draw the viewer’s eye into the frame.

• Natural framing: archways, doorways, and tree branches can frame your subject.

These compositional tools add depth and guide visual exploration.

4. Capture the Sculptural Qualities

Many tombs and mausoleums are works of art:

• Photograph from multiple angles to find the most expressive perspective.

• Try low angles to emphasize monumentality.

• When appropriate, isolate figures against a clean sky or background to reduce clutter.

5. Be Mindful of People and Privacy

Avoid photographing people without consent, especially close portraits.

HOW TO GET THERE

The Poblenou cemetery is located in Barcelona at the end of Avenida d'Icaria. You can easily reach it by metro (Llacuna station, L4 line) and then walk for some 700 metres (8 minutes).

Photographing Poblenou Cemetery: An Unusual Photography Spot in Barcelona