About this place
For over two thousand years this square, at the crossing of the old Roman town's two main streets, has been the centre of power in Barcelona. Today two great buildings face each other across it. On one side stands the Ajuntament, the city hall, seat of Barcelona's municipal government, its Gothic side-facade hiding behind a neoclassical front. Directly opposite rises the Palau de la Generalitat, the seat of the government of Catalonia, a magnificent complex built over centuries and containing a jewel-like Gothic courtyard and the famous chapel and patio of Sant Jordi, Saint George, Catalonia's patron. From these two palaces the city and the region are still run, and the square remains the natural stage for Catalan political life, from festival celebrations to the great human towers, the castells, raised here on special days.
Key facts
- 15 century — Both the city hall and the Generalitat palace took their grand form in the 1400s
- 2 governments — The square faces both Barcelona's city hall and Catalonia's regional government
- 2000 years — Power has centred on this crossroads since Roman Barcelona, called Barcino
📍 Plaça de Sant Jaume 6, 08002, Barcelona