Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the cardus (Carrer de la Llibreteria). The forum's biggest building was a massive temple of
Augustus, which we'll see next.
• Facing the Generalitat, exit the square to the right, heading uphill on tiny Carrer del
Paradís. Follow this street as it turns right. When it swings left, pause at #10, the entrance
to the...
Roman Temple of Augustus: You're standing at the summit of Mont Tàber. A
plaque on the wall says it all: “Mont Tàber, 16.9 meters”—elevation 55 feet. The Barri Gòt-
ic's highest spot is also marked with a millstone inlaid in the pavement at the doorstep of
#10. It was here, atop this lofty summit, that the ancient Romans founded the town of Bar-
cino around 15 B.C. They built a castrum (fort) on the hilltop, protecting the harbor.
Step inside for a peek at the imposing Roman temple (Temple Roma d'August). These
four huge columns, from around A.D. 1, are as old as Barcelona itself. They were part of the
ancienttown'sbiggeststructure,atemplededicatedtotheEmperorAugustus,worshippedas
a god. These Corinthian columns (with deep fluting and topped with leafy capitals) were the
backcornerofa120-foot-longtemplethatextendedfromheretotheFòrum(free,goodEng-
lish info; April-Sept Tue-Sun 10:00-20:00; Oct-March Tue-Sat 10:00-14:00 & 16:00-19:00,
Sun 10:00-20:00; closed Mon year-round).
• Continue down Carrer del Paridís one block. When you bump into the back end of the
cathedral, take a right, and go downhill a block (down Baixada de Santa Clara) until it
emerges into a square called...
Plaça del Rei: The buildings that enclose this square once housed Spain's kings and
queens.Thecentralsection(toppedbyasix-storyaddition)wasthecoreoftheRoyalPalace.
Ithasavasthallonthegroundfloorthatservedasthethroneroomandreceptionroom.From
the 13th to the 15th centuries, the Royal Palace housed Catalunya's counts as well as resid-
ent Spanish kings. In 1493, a triumphant Christopher Columbus, accompanied by six New
World natives (whom he called “Indians”) and several pure-gold statues, entered the Royal
Palace. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel rose to welcome him home and honored him with
the title “Admiral of the Oceans.”
To the right is the palace's church, the Chapel of St. Agatha. It sits atop the foundations
of the Roman wall.
To the left is the Viceroy's Palace (for the ruler's right-hand man), which also served
as the archives of the Kingdom of Aragon. After Catalunya became part of Spain in the
15th century, the Royal Palace became a small regional residence, and the Viceroy's Palace
became the headquarters of the local Inquisition. Today the Viceroy's Palace is once again
home to the archives. Step inside the courtyard. It has an impressive Renaissance court-
yard, a staircase with coffered wood ceilings, and a temporary exhibit space. Among the
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