Palau Reial de Pedralbes
The Palau Reial de Pedralbes, in Spanish Royal Palace of Pedralbes (, Royal Palace of Pedralbes '), is a former residence building on the Avinguda Diagonal in Barcelona, which is 2009 headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean from March 4, and also two museums houses.
History of the palace
Has Today's palace with its extensive gardens, its origin in a former agricultural area near the resulting in the 16th century Monastery of Santa Maria de Pedralbes north of Barcelona. Between 1862 and 1883 earned Joan Güell and his son Eusebi Güell here the estate Can Feliu from the 17th century. Through the addition purchase adjoining land thus creating a 30.000 m², the Finca Güell was called. The existing property has been transformed in the subsequent period by the architect Joan Martorell in a summer residence with a superb garden plants. Between 1884 and 1887 a gatehouse, stables and a gate were built as well on Avinguda de Pedralbes after designs by Antoni Gaudí - later than Pavellons Güell known.
1918 gave the family Güell part of the area the Spanish king Alfonso XIII. as a residence for his stays in Barcelona. By 1924, the property was transformed by the architect Francesc Nebot Eusebi Bona and in a palace in neo-renaissance style. The four-storey central building was supplemented by two three-story, curved side wings. With this conversion, the building receives even today common names " Royal Palace of Pedralbes ." The palace gardens were redesigned in 1927 by Nicolau Maria Rubió i Tudurí.
With the beginning of the Second Spanish Republic was the building in 1931, a few years later, in the possession of the city of Barcelona, where the Museu de les Arts Decoratives (, Museum of Decorative Arts ') einrichtete and gardens converted into a public park. After the Spanish Civil War, the palace was again residence and served the dictator Francisco Franco as the official accommodation in Barcelona.
After the end of Franco's regime, the building was again used as a museum since 1990, it is home to the Museum of Decorative Arts and the Museu de Ceramica ( ceramic museum '). In addition, the palace late 20th and occasionally used at the beginning of the 21st century for large parties was (for example, lends the Spanish King Juan Carlos in 1997 on the occasion of the wedding of his daughter Cristina a great banquet ). Parts of the building were empty but often.
Headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean
With the election of Barcelona to the headquarters, which was founded in July 2008 Mediterranean Union the Palau Reial de Pedralbes was 2008/2009 converted to the General Secretariat of this organization.