Barcelona Guide
Barri Gòtic
Plaça del Rei
The most concentrated batch of historic monuments in the Barri Gòtic is the grouping around Plaça del Rei (Perfect Squares), behind the cathedral apse. The square was once the palace courtyard of Barcelona's counts, and also houses a stone staircase leading to the great fourteenth-century Saló del Tinell, the palace's main hall.
It was on the steps leading from the Saló del Tinell into the Plaça del Rei that Ferdinand and Isabel stood to receive Christopher Columbus on his triumphant return from his famous voyage of 1492. With the old town streets packed, Columbus advanced in procession with the monarchs to the palace, where he presented the queen with booty from the trip – exotic birds, sweet potatoes and six Indians (actually Haitians, taken on board during Columbus' return).
The hall itself is a fine example of secular Gothic architecture, with interior arches spanning 17m. At one time the Spanish Inquisition met here, taking full advantage of the popular belief that the walls would move if a lie was spoken. Nowadays it hosts temporary exhibitions, while concerts are occasionally held in the hall or outside in the square. The palace buildings also include the beautiful fourteenth-century Capella de Santa Agata, with its tall single nave and fine Gothic retable, and the romantic Renaissance Torre del Rei Martí, which rises above one corner of the square. There's currently no public access to the tower, but the interiors of the hall and chapel can be seen during a visit to the Museu d'Història de la Ciutat.