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Ajuntament de Barcelona
On the south side of the square stands the City Hall, the
Ajuntament
, parts of
which date from as early as 1373, though the Neoclassical facade is nineteenth-
century, added when the square was laid out.You get a much better idea of the
grandeur of the original structure by nipping around the corner, down c/de la
Ciutat, for a view of the former main entrance. It’s a typically exuberant
Catalan-Gothic facade, but was badly damaged during renovations in the
nineteenth century. On Sundays (10am–2pm; free; entrance on c/Font de Sant
Miquel; English-language leaflet provided;
T
934 027 000) you’re allowed into
the building for a self-guided tour around the rather splendid marble halls,
galleries and staircases.The highlights are the magnificent restored fourteenth-
century council chamber, known as the
Saló de Cent
, and the dramatic
historical murals by Josep Maria Sert in the
Saló de les Cròniques
(Hall of
Chronicles), while the ground-floor courtyard features sculpted works by some
of the most famous Catalan artists.
Palau de la Generalitat
Right across the square rises the
Palau de la Generalitat
, traditional home
of the Catalan government, from where the short-lived Catalan Republic was
proclaimed in April 1931. Begun in 1418, this presents its best – or at least its
oldest – aspect around the side on c/del Bisbe, where the early fifteenth-
century facade by Marc Safont contains a spirited medallion portraying
St George and the Dragon. (Incidentally, the enclosed Gothic bridge across the
narrow street – the so-called Bridge of Sighs – is an anachronism, added in
1928, though it’s at one with its surroundings and features on many a postcard
of the “Gothic” quarter. It connects the Generalitat with the former canons’
houses across c/del Bispe, now used as the official residence of the president.)
There’s a beautiful cloister on the first floor with superb coffered ceilings,
while opening off this are the intricately worked chapel and salon of Sant Jordi
(St George, patron saint of Catalunya as well as England), and an upper
courtyard planted with orange trees, overhung by gargoyles and peppered with
presidential busts.
You can visit the interior on a
guided tour
on the second and fourth Sunday
of each month (10am–2pm, every 30–60min; free; entrance on c/Sant Honorat,
passport or ID required;
T
934 024 600). These last about an hour, and include
an introductory video about the Catalan state and its history, though only one
or two of the tours each day are conducted in English.The Generalitat is also
open to the public on the
Dia de Sant Jordi
, or Saint George’s Day (April 23;
expect a two-hour wait), which has been conflated with a Catalan version of St
Valentine’s Day – it’s traditional to exchange books and roses, available from
stalls on Plaça de Sant Jaume and the Ramblas. It’s also usually open for visits
on two other public holidays, September 11 and September 24.
Plaça de Sant Just
Behind the Ajuntament, off c/de la Ciutat,
Plaça de Sant Just
is a medieval
gem, sporting a restored fourteenth-century fountain and flanked by
unassuming palaces. Apart from the excellent
Café de l’Acadèmia
, which puts
out dining tables on the square, the highlight here is the
Església dels Sants
Just i Pastor
(open for Mass Mon–Sat 7.30pm, Sun at noon, and occasional
other times), whose very plain stone facade belies the rich stained glass and
elaborate chapel decoration inside (enter from the back, at c/de la Ciutat; the
main doors on Pl. de Sant Just are open less often).The name commemorates
BARRI GÒTIC
|
Plaça de Sant Just