Barcelona - Throne Room

(Local Name: Saló del Tinell) 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.