A new phase of archaeological excavations has begun at the New Cemetery of Sant Francesc, in Formentera, as part of the Fifth Mass Graves Plan (2025–2027). The work aims to continue the investigation, exhumation, and identification of victims linked to the former penal colony on the island, which operated between 1940 and 1943.
Fieldwork started on January 19 and is being carried out by the Aranzadi-ATICS technical team, a group specialised in forensic archaeology and historical memory. The initial days are focused on preparing and organising the excavation area, with full archaeological digging scheduled to progress throughout the coming weeks.
This intervention follows on from previous excavation campaigns conducted in 2021 and 2023 at the same cemetery. During those phases, more than 50 burial sites were examined, and human remains corresponding to 29 individuals were documented, many of them consistent with prisoners who died while held at the Formentera penal colony. As a result of that work, six individuals were successfully identified and returned to their families.
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New phase of excavations under the Fifth Mass Graves Plan begins at Sant Francesc cemetery in Formentera
In this third excavation phase, research has shifted to a different section of the cemetery, selected based on findings from earlier investigations. Historical and archaeological studies suggest that this area may contain the earliest burials of inmates who died in the colony, possibly dating to a period before October 1941, opening a new chapter in the reconstruction of the site’s history.
The excavation forms part of a broader public policy framework on democratic memory, which promotes the location of people who disappeared during the Spanish Civil War and the subsequent dictatorship, as well as their identification and dignified reburial. The expected duration of the work is between three and six weeks, depending on the condition of the remains and the complexity of the site.
The project is being carried out in collaboration with the Consell de Formentera, through its heritage and social welfare departments, and with the support of the Fòrum per la Memòria d’Eivissa i Formentera, which actively works to preserve historical memory in the Pitiusas.
This excavation in Formentera follows the first intervention of the Fifth Mass Graves Plan, recently completed at the cemetery of Ses Figueretes in Ibiza, where human remains and personal objects linked to victims of repression were recovered, providing valuable insight into burial practices and historical context.
With this new campaign, the institutions involved reaffirm their commitment to historical truth, identification of victims, and the restitution of dignity to those who suffered repression, contributing to a more complete understanding of the past and offering closure to families still searching for answers.