Plaça del Rei Monumental Site
Discover the splendor of royal Gothic
The monumental complex of Plaça del Rei is dominated by the Palau Reial Major, the building at the back, which was the residence of the Counts of Barcelona from the 13th century to the early 15th century, although its history dates back to the 11th century.
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Plaça del Rei, the center of power in medieval Barcelona, brings together some of the most important civil Gothic buildings in the city. Surrounding the Royal Palace of the Counts of Barcelona, where the grand throne hall is located, you'll discover a small chapel, a porticoed garden, and a house hiding a Roman domus, which is now part of the City History Museum. Due to renovations in the 13th century, the predominant style of the palace is Gothic, but Visigothic and Romanesque elements have been found in the foundations of the structure.
Inside the palace, you will find one of the most significant civil Gothic halls and an emblematic space in Barcelona's history, as it was the throne hall of the Counts of Barcelona and the center of medieval power. This is the Saló del Tinell, built in the 14th century by order of King Peter the Ceremonious, designed by Guillem Carbonell, who created a large rectangular hall supported by six semicircular diaphragm arches resting on pillars with sculpted capitals. Today, the Palau Reial Major and Saló del Tinell are integrated into the City History Museum.
How to get to Plaça del Rei?
You can walk to Plaça del Rei by getting off at the Gothic Quarter stop on the Red Route of the Barcelona Bus Turístic.
For the curious
- On one side of the plaza, you will see a contemporary sculpture. It is a work by sculptor Eduardo Chillida, named "Topos V", which was the first piece by this artist in Barcelona.
- Evening is a magical time to visit this place, especially if entering from Plaça de Ramon Berenguer: the shadow of the equestrian statue of the Count of Barcelona projected onto one of the side buildings creates a dramatic effect.
