The Palau Reial Major (; "Grand Royal Palace") is a complex of historic buildings located in

Plaça del Rei Plaça del Rei (meaning "King's Square" in Catalan, in es, Plaza del Rey) is a 14th-century medieval public square in the Barri Gòtic of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. http://www.fodors.com/world/europe/spain/barcelona/review-115955.html FODOR T ...

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. It was a residence of the

counts of Barcelona The Count of Barcelona ( ca, Comte de Barcelona, es, Conde de Barcelona, french: Comte de Barcelone, ) was the ruler of the County of Barcelona and also, by extension and according with the Usages of Barcelona, usages and Catalan constitutions, of ...

and

kings of Aragon This is a list of the kings and queens of Aragon. The Kingdom of Aragon was created sometime between 950 and 1035 when the County of Aragon, which had been acquired by the Kingdom of Navarre in the tenth century, was separated from Navarre in ...

. It is composed of three distinct edifices: *the ''Saló del Tinell'', built by King Peter IV in 1359–1362 *the Palatine Chapel of St. Agatha (1302), built under

King James II James VII and II (14 October 1633 16 September 1701) was King of England and King of Ireland as James II, and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685. He was deposed in the Glorious Re ...

*the ''Palau del Lloctinent'' (1549), built by Generalitat of Catalonia under

Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infan ...

The ''Saló del Tinell'' was built in the 14th century under the direction of architect Guillem Carbonell. Its gothic round arches are founded over 11th-century vaults (built themselves over a pre-existing monumental structure dating to the Visigoth age). The Chapel of St. Agatha was designed by architect Bertran Riquer to act as the royal chapel, replacing a previous oratory. It has an octagonal tower from the early 14th century, and it consists of a single aisle with a roof ceiling and ends with a polygonal apse. The sacristy is built within the ancient Roman walls. By commission of

Peter V of Aragon Peter of Coimbra (also known as Peter the Constable) ( pt, Pedro, pronounced ; c. 1429 – Granollers, 30 June 1466), sometimes known as Peter V of Aragon, was the son of Infante Peter, Duke of Coimbra, who became the fifth Constable of Portu ...

(1463–1466) painter

Jaume Huguet Jaume Huguet (; 1412–1492) was a Catalan painter. Originally from Valls, he moved to Tarragona to stay with his uncle Pere Huguet, who was also a painter. When they moved to Barcelona he was exposed to modern trends of the time. Between 1440 ...

made the chapel altarpiece dedicated to the

Epiphany Epiphany may refer to: * Epiphany (feeling), an experience of sudden and striking insight Religion * Epiphany (holiday), a Christian holiday celebrating the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ ** Epiphany season, or Epiph ...

. Both ''Saló del Tinell'' and St. Agatha Chapel are valuated as Catalan Gothic architecture masterpieces. The Epiphany altarpiece is also an outstanding gothic painting. They can be visited as a part of the

Barcelona City History Museum The Museum of the History of Barcelona ( ca, Museu d'Història de Barcelona, MUHBA) is a history museum that conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the historical heritage of the city of Barcelona, from its origins in Roman times until ...

MUHBA. Temporary exhibitions are held in them. After the 16th century, the edifice was no longer used as a royal residence and was divided between the

Inquisition The Inquisition was a group of institutions within the Catholic Church whose aim was to combat heresy, conducting trials of suspected heretics. Studies of the records have found that the overwhelming majority of sentences consisted of penances, ...

and the royal administration. In this period, the door leading to the Royal Audience Hall was built, with a triangular tympanum (currently at the entrance of the Museu Frederic Marès). The ''Palau de Lloctinent'' was built in 1549–1557 by Antoni Carbonell, in late Gothic-Renaissance style as the residence of the Viceroy (Lloctinent) of Catalonia. Also from this period is the so-called Mirador of King Martin, a five-storey tower on a rectangular plan (1555).

Gallery

File:Exterior Palau del Lloctinent.jpg, Palau del Lloctinent File:Escales del Palau Reial.jpg, Steps leading to the ''Saló del Tinell'' and the Chapel of St. Agatha File:Jaime Huguet 001.jpg, The altarpiece of the ''Epiphany'', by Jaume Huguet

References

External links

MUHBA Plaça del Rei
{{coord, 41, 23, 2.99, N, 2, 10, 39.24, E, display=title Buildings and structures completed in 1302 Religious buildings and structures completed in 1302 Buildings and structures completed in 1362 Houses completed in the 14th century Houses completed in 1549 Gothic architecture in Catalonia Palaces in Barcelona Royal residences in Spain 1549 establishments in Spain