Palau de la Virreina

Description:

• Built in the 1770s, this building was the former home of Manuel d'Amat, a wealthy viceroy who had made his fortune in the Americas. Set slightly back from the street, this grand structure is marked by typically Spanish top-heaviness. Inside there is a patio featuring columns and a staircase to the right leads to the interior, most of which is not open to the public. On the left, a large space is lent to rotating exhibitions, predominantly on some aspect of Barcelona. One of the most memorable recent exhibitions held here -- from November 2006 to March 2007 -- was of Agustí Centelles's evocative Spanish Civil War photographs. An excellent gift shop and cultural information point can be found on the ground floor.

• © Frommer's 2012