Facade of Palau de la Virreina

©Esme Fox/Lonely Planet

Palau de la Virreina

La Rambla & Barri Gòtic


A rare example of post-baroque building in Barcelona, the Palau de la Virreina is a grand 18th-century rococo mansion (with some neoclassical elements) that now hosts rotating photography exhibitions though its Centre de la Imatge. It was built in the 1770s by Manuel d’Amat i de Junyent, a military Spaniard who was appointed governor of Chile and viceroy of Peru.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby La Rambla & Barri Gòtic attractions

1. Centre de la Imatge

The Centre de la Imatge is an exhibition space that forms part of the Palau de la Virreina. It hosts mainly – but not exclusively – photography shows.

2. Església de Betlem

0.04 MILES

On La Rambla with Carrer del Carme, this church was constructed in baroque style for the Jesuits in the late 17th and early 18th centuries to replace a…

3. Mercat de la Boqueria

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Barcelona's most central fresh-produce market is one of the greatest sound, smell and colour sensations in Europe. It's housed in a packed-out Modernista…

4. Palau Moja

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After extensive renovation, Palau Moja – a neoclassical building dating from the second half of the 18th century, which previously housed the Generalitat…

5. Museu de l’Eròtica

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Observe what naughtiness people have been getting up to since ancient times in this museum, with historical relics such as Indian bas-reliefs showing…

6. Basílica de Santa Maria del Pi

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Begun in 1320, on the site of a 10th-century Romanesque church, this striking 14th-century basilica is a classic of Catalan Gothic, with an imposing…

7. Mosaïc de Miró

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At Plaça de la Boqueria, where four side streets meet just north of Liceu metro station, you can walk all over a colourful 1976 pavement mosaic, with one…

8. Via Sepulcral Romana

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A block east of the top end of La Rambla is a sunken garden where a series of Roman tombs from the 1st to 3rd century AD were uncovered in the 1940s,…