Palau Reial Major de Barcelona

Barcelona, Spain, Spain

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Palau Reial Major de Barcelona, also known as the Grand Royal Palace, stands as a medieval complex in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, serving as the historic residence for the counts of Barcelona and later the kings of Aragon.

It comprises key structures like the Saló del Tinell, a grand 14th-century Gothic hall built by King Peter IV between 1359 and 1370 with wide-spanning arches over ancient Roman foundations; the Chapel of Santa Agatha from 1302, commissioned by King James II with its Gothic design and Jaume Huguet's Renaissance altarpiece; and the 16th-century Palau del Lloctinent in late Gothic-Renaissance style, housing the Viceroy of Catalonia.

Once a center for royal ceremonies and governance, the site later accommodated the Inquisition and royal courts before becoming part of Barcelona's City History Museum (MUHBA), preserving layers of architecture from Visigothic times through the Renaissance.