the Viceroy’s Palace

The entrance to the Virreina Palace is on your right , the name translates to “the Viceroy’s Palace”. It was built in 1778 at the request of Manuel Amat. He was the former Viceroy of Peru, meaning he officially represented the Spanish Crown in the colonies of New Spain in South America. He commissioned architect Josep Ribes to construct this small but magnificent Baroque palace, now considered one of the finest examples of Catalan architecture of its time. The building was classified as a site of national interest in 1941, before being acquired by the municipality a few years later. The city renovated the palace and installed the Museum of Decorative Arts, followed by the Museum of Textiles and Fashion. Today, its annexes and courtyard house the Barcelona Institute of Culture, with free temporary exhibitions. You can also meet the Giants of Barcelona in the palace’s communal rooms… This oversized couple, known as Jaume I and Violant of Hungary, are Catalonia’s oldest documented giants. The figures in the palace date from 1992 and were designed based on the original models from 1921. These giants are named after famous Catalan monarchs, but during Franco’s regime, they were renamed Ferdinand and Isabella, as a tribute to the Catholic Monarchs. Also on display is the Eagle of Barcelona, an important symbolic animal in Catalan tradition, which, along with the giant couple, is one of the city’s highest-ranking ceremonial figures during parades Be sure to step inside this palace to see these historic figures up close!