Palau del Lloctinent (Lieutenant’s Palace), Barcelona

Just past the Frederic Marès Museum, a handsome doorway beckons you into the refined courtyard of the Lieutenant’s Palace, adorned with its three facades. As part of the former royal palace, the Lieutenant’s Palace boasts a typical mix of late Gothic and early Renaissance Catalan design. One of the most elegant buildings in the Gothic Quarter, it was constructed between 1549 and 1557 by master builder Antoni Carbonell, commissioned by the Government of Catalonia (known as the Generalitat).

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Palace served as the residence of the king's official emissary (or viceroy) in Barcelona. From 1836 until 1994, the graceful structure served as the headquarters for the General Archive of the Crown of Aragon and today offers an excellent exhibition on the life and era of James I the Conqueror, King of Aragon, one of Catalonia's prominent historic figures from the 13th century.

The building features a rectangular plan with four floors and basements, centering around a large courtyard. The ground floor includes four large carpanel arches on pillars, supporting a Tuscan-type gallery with semicircular arches, and an Italian palace-style staircase leading to the upper floors. The weighty stone arches adorning the entrance, the central patio, and the intricately adorned wooden roof above the staircase all exemplify the noble architecture of the 16th century. The door on the stairway, dating to 1975, showcases scenes from the life of Saint George and the history of Catalonia.

The courtyard also occasionally hosts concerts featuring early music. Additionally, during the Corpus Christi celebration, it becomes one of the main venues for the "dancing egg" spectacle, featuring an egg "dancing" on the fountain jet amidst an elaborate floral arrangement.