Oscar Wilde, Irish playwright and novelist used to say: "The only duty we have to history is to rewrite it." And today we... take his advice! We are going to record the oldest houses in Barcelona, homes that hide within their walls memories and experiences that will never be erased if someone, in this case us, continues to remember them. Let's take a historical tour with this selection of buildings!
The oldest in Barcelona
According to Josep M. Huertas, we are in front of the oldest house in the city, inhabited since the 12th century. On the facade, we can appreciate many medieval elements such as in the portal, or in the windows. All the walls are partly made of stone and partly framed with external binding. Despite its restoration in the year 2000, ornamental elements from the feudal era are preserved. A curious feature of this house is the inclination of the walls, which is a consequence of the earthquake that the city suffered in the 15th century.
Gothic style homes
The Palau Reial Major was the residence of the Counts of Barcelona and the Kings of Aragon in the 15th century. It is located at the epicenter of the Gothic quarter of Barcelona, in the Plaça del Rei and consists of three enclosures: the Saló del Tinell, the Palatine Chapel of Santa Ágata and the Verger, the gardens. This building is a medieval palace with austere architecture and an example of the Catalan civil Gothic style of the time. Later, in the 16th century, it became the headquarters of the Holy Office, that is, the Inquisition. Currently, after the restoration carried out in the 1930s, the palace has become the main headquarters of the Barcelona History Museum.
This flamboyant Gothic-style house with sculptural details of Italian Renaissance influence is located in the very Gothic quarter of Barcelona. Originally from the 12th century, the house became the headquarters of the Barcelona Bar Association and in 1902, Lluís Domènech i Montaner himself decorated the building. In 1920, the Barcelona City Council took over the premises and to this day, it is the home of the Historical Archive of the City of Barcelona.
The 18th-century neoclassical
18th-century neoclassical palace located in the Ciutat Vella district at number 8 of Rambla de Santa Monica in Barcelona. It was built between 1775 and 1781 by the architect Joan Soler i Faneca, and today, it is a Cultural Asset of Local Interest. Its current use is the headquarters of the Department of Culture of the Generalitat de Catalunya. It is a stately building with compositions on the floor and facade of geometry and Italian and French treaties on the art of construction.
It was built in 1770, on the ruins of an ancient 13th-century residence in the heart of the Gothic Quarter. It is listed as architectural heritage for its classic features and is the only private palace from the 18th century in Barcelona that still retains its original furniture and interior from that time. Located in Sant Just square, until the year 2000 it was the residence of the Moxó family. Currently, guided tours are offered to discover its secrets, paintings, and beauty.
Josep Fontserè i Domènech built this house in 1847. Of eclectic style and located within a block of houses in the Ciutat Vella district, it is framed by Escudellers street.
La construcción del Palauet Casades se remonta a 1882 cuando su diseño fue encargado a Antoni Serra i Pujals. Este edificio se encuentra en el Eixample de Barcelona y perteneció a Carles de Casades Còndols, propietario textil conocido de la época. Actualmente, el recinto acoge en su interior el Col·legi d’Advocats, donde se encuentra la biblioteca jurídica privada más importante de Europa. Es un archivo histórico muy apreciado, ya que se libró de la censura impuesta durante las dictaduras de Primo de Rivera y Franco.
This selection is just a taste of the many unique buildings and houses that exist in our beautiful Barcelona. If you liked this post, do not hesitate to share it!
