The other must-see in Barri Gotic is the Palau Reial Major, the palace of the former Counts of Barcelona. Catalunya used to be part of France, but in the twelfth century it was given its independence, and ruled by the Counts of Barcelona. The French rule is also the reason Catalunya has its unique language, Catalan, which has heavy French and Spanish influences.



The Count of Barcelona married the Queen of neighboring Aragon, and the palace became the home of the joint monarchy. This golden age for Barcelona came to a halt in the fifteenth century, with the famous marriage of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, which united Aragon with Castile. Although it was supposed to be a marriage of equals, power quickly moved to Castile and away from Barcelona, so the palace was soon abandoned.



It's a sprawling place, but not very photogenic as much of it looks like an archeological dig rather than a royal palace. Actually the interior isn't very palatial either; it's huge, but much more like a massive fort than a showpiece residence. The most interesting part of the palace is actually underneath it, where archeologists have dug up a huge swathe of the ancient Roman city. Lots of old streets, building foundations etc are all sitting under there, and it's very easy to get an idea of what the Roman Barcelona would have looked like.