Barcelona - King's Square Plaça del Rei

The Palau del Lloctinent del Rei is a cold, flat building of the mid-16th C., which houses the Arxiu de la Corona d'Aragó (Archives of the Crown of Aragón). The coats-of-arms of the heads of state are repeated several times on the facade. The colorful inner courtyard represents the transition from Gothic to Renaissance.

Opposite the entrance to the Plaçadel Rei stands the square Romanesque building, the Saló del Tinell, dominated by a rectangular tower in the Tuscan style. The giant hall, spanned by broad, semi-circular arched girders, is of historical importance; it was here that Christopher Columbus, following his first expedition to the New World, was received almost as an equal by the Spanish rulers Ferdinand II and Isabella I (the "Reyes Católicos"). The hall is entered through an ante-room, which is connected with the square by a semi-circular open staircase. Temporary exhibitions are held here from time to time.