MUHBA Plaça del Rei – Barcelona City History Museum

The MUHBA (Museu d’Historia de Barcelona) is a museum dedicated to the history of Barcelona which comprises 10 venues across the city; located in the medieval district of Barcelona, the Barri Gòtic, and adjacent to the city’s Cathedral, the MUHBA Plaça del Rei is the oldest and most popular of such venues.

Opened in 1943, the MUHBA Plaça del Rei presents the history of Barcelona from its origins as the Roman town of Barcino up to the Middle-ages.
Extended on a floor area of about 4,000 square meters / 43,000 square feet, the monumental complex which accommodates the museum is a historical exhibit in itself which features archaeological remains of villas and workshops dating back to the Roman Empire and the early-Christian age in the basement, the Bishop’s Palace (4th to 7th century AD, the Count’s Place (11th century), and parts of the former Greater Royal Palace (14th century); the complex also includes Casa Padellàs, a 15th-century house once located in another part of the city, which was moved to the current MUHBA premises in 1930 in order to further reinforce the medieval character of the Gothic Quarter.

The museum complex accommodates a permanent exhibition of objects focused on the history, social and economic background, architecture, and urban development of the capital of Catalonia from the 1st century BC to the 13th century AD; the visit to the MUHBA Plaça del Rei is, therefore, a combination of an architectural journey through the historical buildings of the museum, and a visit to the exhibition of the archaeological artifacts, everyday objects, drawings, architectural models, documents and videos on view in the galleries located in such buildings.

The MUHBA Plaça del Rei also hosts temporary exhibitions and organizes guided tours, seminars, and educational activities for children, schools, and families. The museum, which is accessible to physically impaired persons, includes a cafeteria and a bookshop.

Barcelona, views of the exterior and courtyard of Casa Padellàs, a house dating to the 15th century and moved to the Gothic Quarter in 1930, now part of the MUHBA Plaça del Rei; photos © Inexhibit

MUHBA Plaça del Rei; built in the 14th century, the Saló del Tinell is a grand hall once part of the Great Royal Palace, which housed the Royal Court of Catalonia and the seat of the Inquisition; photo Ajuntament Barcelona (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).

Cover image: view of Plaça del Rei and the MUHBA, photo © Inexhibit