Apple's construction of a new store in Madrid uncovered the 15th century ruins of a hospital that treated plague victims, according to a report.
Apple was constructing a basement when it found the outer wall of the hospital, the Los Angeles Times reported. The Buen Suceso hospital and church were torn down in 1854 to make room for a town square, but apparently some ruins remained. The city discovered some of the ruins in 2009 when it created a light rail station.
“We’re not surprised to find these remains because we knew they could be there," Jaime Ignacio Muñoz, director of the Madrid heritage department, told Spanish newspaper El Pais. "The building is located on a historic site and is protected as an area of public cultural interest, so that any action on the ground has to have the approval of the heritage department."
Apple is considering options to preserve the ruins, and likely will protect the wall and "symbolically trace" it, for visitors. Interested onlookers may also get an informational plaque.
U.S. & World
It's unlikely such ruins will be found in the New World, so in this instance Apple had to acquiesce to historical agencies. Luckily, Madrid is familiar with such discoveries so the accommodation for Apple will be relatively painless.
