These two museums are viewed as a double act, and both reside in Plaça del Rei, which is nestled beneath a remaining section of the old city walls. Visitors enter through the Casa Clariana Padellàs, a Gothic mansion that was originally located on the nearby Carrer Mercaders and was moved here when the construction of the Vía Laietana ripped through the Barri Gòtic in the early 1930s. The ground floor is dedicated to temporary exhibitions on Iberian and Mediterranean culture, with a permanent virtual-reality display on the history of the city. The highlight, however, lies underground, underneath the Plaça del Rei itself. Excavation work carried out for the relocation of the Casa Clariana Padellàs unearthed a large section of Barcino, the old Roman city. Workers found a forum, streets, squares, family homes, shops, and even laundries and huge vats used for wine production. A clever network of walkways has been built over the relics, allowing you to fully appreciate the ebb and flow of daily life in old Barcino. Be on the lookout for a handful of beautiful mosaics, still in situ, from ancient Roman family homes.
The visit continues above ground in the medieval Royal Palace. The complex dates back to the 10th century, when it was the palace of the counts of Barcelona, then later became the residence of the kings of Aragón. The top step of its sweeping entrance is supposedly where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella received Columbus after he returned from the New World in 1493. Immediately inside, the palace's chapel, the Capella de Santa Agüeda, is used for temporary exhibitions. Adjacent to the chapel is the Saló del Tinell, a massive, high-ceilinged Gothic banqueting hall and a key work of the period, featuring the largest stone arches to be found in Europe. Another palace highlight is the Mirador del Rei Martí (King Martin's Watchtower). Constructed in 1555, it is a later addition to the palace but in many ways one of its most interesting. King Martin was the last of the line of the city's count-kings, and this five-story tower was built to keep an eye on foreign invasions and peasant uprisings that often took place in the square below.
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