The Plaça de Sant Jaume is located in the city center, the Old Town of Barcelona, known as the Gothic Quarter.
It is the political and administrative heart of Barcelona since the Roman and Medieval period and is located in the former Roman Forum, where came the two main streets of the ancient city, Cardo and Decumanus converge and where the most important events of the public life took place.
Close to the square, at calle de Paradis, you will find the rests of the Temple of Emperor Augustus, from which only four columns remains.
Other two important building that you find the square are the Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya, the Catalan Government Headquarters and the Casa de la Ciutat, the City Hall of Barcelona.
Two palaces facing each other
The square is defined by a face-off between the two seats of Catalan power. On one side stands the Ajuntament de Barcelona (City Hall), also called the Casa de la Ciutat, whose Saló de Cent has hosted the city council since the 14th century. Directly opposite rises the Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya, the headquarters of the Catalan regional government, with its Gothic façade tucked around the corner on Carrer del Bisbe.
The Roman forum of Barcino
This spot has been the centre of the city for two thousand years. In Roman times it was the forum of Barcino, laid out precisely where the two main streets — the cardo and the decumanus — crossed. Public life, markets and civic ceremonies have gathered here ever since, making Plaça de Sant Jaume one of the oldest continuously used public spaces in the city.
What happens here today
The square remains the stage for the city’s biggest moments. During festivals such as La Mercè you can watch the castellers raise their dizzying human towers, and sardana dances and traditional celebrations fill the space throughout the year. It is also the natural gathering point for political demonstrations, and at Christmas the city sets up its nativity scene, the pessebre, here.
Visiting in 30 seconds
The square is free and open to walk through at any time — it is best combined with a loop of the Gothic Quarter, sitting just steps from the cathedral. You cannot normally enter the two palaces, though the Generalitat holds limited open-door days a few times a year; check the official site before you go.
How to get there
Public transport
- Metro: L3, Liceu stop / L4, stop Jaume I.
- Buses: 14, 17, 19, 40, 45, 59.