Discover Barcelona City Council from the inside

Welcome to Barcelona City Council.

We’d like to invite you to discover the home of the Barcelona City Council, the Casa de la Ciutat [City Hall], which is a physical space and at the same time a symbol that has been preserved over the centuries, always located in the same building at the heart of the city. Discover its halls and historic spaces.

You can choose to visit either virtually or in person.

These visits are free of charge.

The usual Sunday visits to Barcelona City Hall’s rooms will not be held on 8 December 2024

The in-person guided tour service at Barcelona City Council take place on Sundays except those which fall on public holidays, and allow direct contact with the guide who will accompany you throughout the tour, explaining the history of the halls.

Description:

The tour will include the Gothic Façade, the Gothic Courtyard, the Saló de Cent, the Carles Pi i Sunyer or Plenary Hall, and the Saló de Cròniques.

Visits will take place on Sundays

Languages and times:

  • Catalan: 10.30h, 11.30h and 12.30h
  • Spanish: 11h and 12h
  • English: 10h

Duration:

1 hour

Registration: 

Advance registration is not mandatory, but recommended if you want to be sure of a place on the guided tour.

Registration website

Places:

Maximum number of people per visit: 25

Access point:

  • You can access the building from the street c/Font de Sant Miquel.
  • All visitors must comply with the health and safety measures in force at any time
  • You need to be at the access point 15 minutes before the scheduled time of the visit.

 

 

You can take a virtual 360° tour of the City Hall at any time, and enjoy it at your own pace.

  • Description

    Today, the Saló de Cent is a snapshot of a part of the institutional history of Barcelona’s municipal government. The way it looks now is the result of multiple changes over time.

    Constructed by master builder Pere Llobet in 1369, it is one of the best examples of civil Gothic architecture in Catalonia. It is characterised by diaphanous spaces and a flat ceiling, where sections of wooden beams alternate with stone arches. The name refers to the fact that this hall was the meeting place of the Consell de Cent established by King Jaume I, although in the 14th century only three sections of beams were in existence. In 1860, the Hall was enlarged by adding two sections identical to the original three.

    In 1914 there was a public competition for the decoration of the Hall of One Hundred. The winner was Enric Monserdà. On the side walls Monserdà placed some damask illustrating the history of the City embroidered in velvet, satin and gold with the coats of arms of the municipalities annexed to Barcelona which today constitute the districts within the city. The year when each was annexed can also be seen. The floor was redone with a representation of iconographic elements that identified the different city guilds that formed part of the Consell de Cent. The alabaster work-completed in 1924- that Monserdà designed for the front wall is a masterpiece that represents many of the historical moments of the City Hall.

    Today, the Saló de Cent is the place where the city’s most significant events are held, such as the presentation of medals of honour, the swearing-in of councillors, the celebration of civil weddings and commemorative events.

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  • Description

    In 1860, a room was constructed next to the Saló de Cent, where the councillors could debate the most important aspects of municipal policy.

    The presidential table is surrounded by 50 wooden seats, split into two blocks, and there are two galleries, one for the public and the other for the press.

    This is where the Full Council holds its plenary sessions on the last Friday of each month (except August).

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  • Description

    Designed by Josep M. Sert in 1929, the name refers to the 14th century chronicles written by Ramon Muntaner and Bernat Desclot about the expedition of the Catalan Company led by Roger de Flor to the East. The murals depict various episodes from the battles of the Almogavers in their fight against the Turks.

    It is currently used for press conferences, seminars and institutional events.

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  • Description

    The entrance in Carrer Ciutat was built in 1399, when the Gothic façade of the City Hall was created. There was no direct entrance to the Saló de Cent from the street at that time, with access via the courtyard. This was why the City Council commissioned the master builder Arnau Bargués to create a façade for the City Hall which was in keeping with the importance of the institution and ended giving its name to the street section where it is located. This entrance is open when the City Hall holds open days

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  • Description 

    This leads from the ground floor foyer to the Gothic Gallery and the Saló de Cent. It was built in 1894 by the municipal architect Pere Falqués. The current design is by the architect Adolf Florensa, who renovated it in 1929.

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  • Description

    In this video, you can see how the institution has evolved since its beginnings back in the 13th century with the Consell de Cent [the Council of the One Hundred], until the City Council of today.

    The seat of Barcelona City Council, the Casa de la Ciutat, is home to many different styles, and has a great diversity of architectural features, room layouts and decorative elements. Each of them marks an important period of time or a significant event in the history of Barcelona and of Catalonia.

These self-guided visits will be available every Sunday expect on public holidays. You can explore the spaces at your own pace.

On Sunday, 20th October 2024, the usual Sunday tours of Barcelona City Hall will not be held.

 Description:

You will get to visit the Gothic Patio, the Saló de Cent, the Saló de Plens (plenary hall), or Sala de Carles Pi i Sunyer, and the Saló de Cròniques.

The visits take place on Sundays.

Opening times: 10 am to 1 pm.

Participation: free admission. At very busy times the team coordinating the visits reserves the right to regulate access.

Entrance point:

  • Visitors should come to the entrance on C/ Font de Sant Miquel
  • All visitors must comply with the health and safety measures in force at any time.