Padellàs's House, Gothic palace in Gothic Quarter, Spain
Padellàs's House is a late Gothic palace with Renaissance ornament on its door and window frames, moved to Plaça del Rei in 1931. It is built around a courtyard with an open staircase and, at the top, a wooden-roofed vestibule opening onto the patio through four pointed arches. Since 1943 it has housed the Museum of the History of Barcelona.
Built between the late 15th and early 16th centuries on Carrer dels Mercaders, the palace was acquired by Barcelona City Council in 1927 and dismantled stone by stone in 1931. It was rebuilt about 140 metres away at Plaça del Rei under architects Joaquim Vilaseca and Adolf Florensa, replacing houses of lesser architectural interest. The works uncovered Roman remains, so the palace was raised on freestanding pillars to preserve them.
The palace served as the home of wealthy merchants and shows how important the Mercaders street was for medieval trade in the city. Walking through its rooms, you can get a sense of how a noble family lived during that era.
The museum office is at Baixada de Llibreteria, 7, while the palace entrance opens onto Plaça del Rei. The ground-floor Àgora BCN and the courtyard are free to enter; the auditorium screens a panoramic documentary on the city's 2,000-year history every 20 minutes from 10 am to 7 pm. The building closes on Mondays and on 1 January, 1 May, 24 June and 25 December.
The Flemish Clock of 1576, now displayed under the courtyard's glass cover, kept time for Barcelona until 1864, when it was replaced by the current municipal clock. It is shown with a set of clocks from different periods and places in the city.
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