Virreina Palace

Historical Building in Barcelona, Spain

41°22′57″N 2°10′18″E / 41.382492°N 2.171667°E / 41.382492; 2.171667Current tenantsInstitut de Cultura de Barcelona [ca]Construction started1772Completed1778ClientManuel d'Amat i de JunyentDesign and constructionArchitect(s)Carles Grau [es]WebsiteOfficial website

The Virreina Palace (Catalan: Palau de la Virreina; Spanish: Palacio de la Virreina) is a building in the city of Barcelona. Situated on the famous La Rambla avenue, today it houses the headquarters of the City Council's Culture Institute, the Institut de Cultura de Barcelona [ca] (ICUB) and hosts various temporary art exhibitions and cultural events.^[1]

The palace was built, between 1772 and 1778, for Manuel d'Amat i de Junyent, who was Viceroy of Peru between 1761 and 1776. It is named for his wife, virreina meaning vicereine in the Catalan language. The architect was Carles Grau [es], and the palace was built in a style between baroque and rococo.^[1] Grau, also a sculptor, created the window hoods and the vases which decorate the building's skyline.^[2]

On the exterior of the palace is a statue of Our Lady of the Rosary, created by Luisa Granero [es] in 1967.^[3]

Gallery

Staircase
Interior of the palace
Statue of Our Lady of the Rosary

References

^ ^a ^b "La Virreina Centre de la Imatge". Turisme de Barcelona. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
^ Woodward, Christopher (1992). The Buildings of Europe: Barcelona. Manchester University Press. p. 43.
^ "Mare de Déu del Roser 1967" (in Catalan). Ajuntament de Barcelona. Retrieved 2013-12-03.