Plaça del Rei sits above a remarkably deep archaeological record: Roman streets, workshops, and buildings lie beneath the medieval square. Excavations began after the nearby Casa Padellàs was moved, revealing how Barcelona’s civic center grew through reuse rather than replacement.
Guide preview
The medieval square above you stands over an older city that was uncovered almost by accident. In 1931, Casa Padellàs was moved to make way for Via Laietana; excavations at its new site exposed a large part of Roman Barcino.
Continue exploring
Discover the full story
Keep reading with a travel pass and explore every full guide and tour.
UpgradeQuick facts
- The archaeological site was discovered in 1931 when Casa Padellàs was relocated.
- The remains include parts of Roman Barcino and a later episcopal complex.
- The excavated structures range from the first century AD to the sixth century.
More places in Barcelona
Arc de Triomf
Barcelona’s Arc de Triomf was built as the ceremonial entrance to the 1888 Universal Exhibition, not as a victory monument. Its red brick and sculpted friezes combine a classical arch shape with a distinctly local architectural style and a message of welcome.
Barcelona Aquarium
The Barcelona Aquarium’s Oceanarium puts visitors beneath a large Mediterranean tank, with an underwater tunnel running through it. The experience is built around a change in viewpoint: instead of looking down at marine life from above, you move through the water’s volume as fish pass overhead and a
Barcelona Cathedral
Barcelona Cathedral’s Gothic structure was built over earlier Christian places of worship, and its present façade was completed centuries after the medieval church began. The result is a layered monument where the building’s age and the date of its most visible front do not match.
Barcelona History Museum
Barcelona History Museum at Plaça del Rei places visitors above the remains of Roman Barcino, where streets, workshops, and public buildings reveal the city’s early grid. The museum also occupies later medieval structures, making the site itself a layered exhibit of urban continuity and change.
Barcelona Maritime Museum
Barcelona Maritime Museum occupies the Royal Shipyards, where galleys and other vessels were built and maintained for Mediterranean power. The broad Gothic halls are industrial spaces on a monumental scale, preserving the structure of a medieval naval arsenal while giving it a new museum role.
Barcelona Pavilion
The Barcelona Pavilion was built as Germany’s contribution to the 1929 International Exposition and dismantled soon afterward. Its 1986 reconstruction makes a temporary building permanently available for experiencing modern architecture’s use of material and space.