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The Palau Reial de Pedralbes ("Pedralbes Royal Palace") is a building placed in the middle of an ample garden in the district of Les Corts, in Barcelona. From 1919 until 1931 it was the residence for the Spanish Royal Family when they visited the city. It houses the Museu de la Ceramica (ceramic museum), Museu Tèxtil i d'Indumentària and Museu de les Arts Decoratives (interior design museum), both part of the Disseny Hub Barcelona and is the permanent seat of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM).

Mirador del Palacio de Pedralbes

Isabella II showing her son, Alfonso XII, by Agapit Vallmitjana i Barbany

The Montjuïc was selected as the site for several of the venues of the 1992 Summer Olympics, centred around the Olympic stadium

The palace has its origins in the old Masia (mas or farmer's house) de Can Feliu, from the 17th century. The corresponding land was acquired by the count Eusebi Güell, along with the neighbouring Can Cuiàs de la Riera. Together they formed the Finca Güell, an extensive parcel of land (30,000 m2). The Can Feliu building was remodeled by the architect Joan Martorell i Montells, who built a Caribbean-style small palace, together with a Gothic-style chapel and surrounded by magnificent gardens.

Later the building remodeling was given to Antoni Gaudí, together with the construction of a surrounding perimeter wall and the side entry pavilions. Gaudí also partially designed the gardens surrounding the palace, placing two fountains and a pergola and planted many Mediterranean plants like palm trees, cypress trees, magnolias, pine trees and eucalyptus.

The Font d'Hércules (Hercules fountain) still exists today on site, restored in 1983; it has a bust of Hercules on top of a pillar with Catalonia's shield and a spout in the shape of a Chinese dragon.

Font d'Hércules, by Antoni Gaudí

Font d'Hércules, by Antoni Gaudí

Eusebi Güell gave the house and garden to the Royal family, as a thank you for his noble title of Count given to him, in 1918. The house was then remodeled to become a royal palace. The work was done from 1919 to 1924 by the architects Eusebi Bona and Francesc Nebot

In 1924 it was officially made a royal palace but, with the second Spanish Republic's proclamation in 1931, it became property of the city government, which decided to make it a decorative arts museum, inaugurated in 1932. During Francisco Franco's regime it was used as a residence for Franco during his visits to the city. In 1990 the Museu de Ceramica was placed at the palace.

In 1924 it was officially made a royal palace but, with the second Spanish Republic's proclamation in 1931, it became property of the city government, which decided to make it a decorative arts museum, inaugurated in 1932. During Francisco Franco's regime it was used as a residence for Franco during his visits to the city. In 1990 the Museu de Ceramica was placed at the palace.

The ceramics museum occupied part of the first and second floors while the ground floor has the throne-room and large salons which are used for public functions. The Ceramics museum has an impressive collections of ceramics and decorative arts, but the palace itself and the beautifully tended terraced grounds of the palace, called "Jardins del Palau de Pedralbes," are also impressive and worth visiting. The "Jardins del Palau de Pedralbes" are free to visit. Admission to the permanent exhibition is free on the first Sunday of every month. Visit the museum website for admission prices.

Nu (Nude) by Enric Casanovas (1930)

Nu femení agenollat (Female kneeling nude) by Joan Borrell i Nicolau (1916)

Female kneeling nude by Joan Borrell i Nicolau Mediterrània, by Eulàlia Fàbregas of Sentmenat.

Mediterrània, sculpture in alabastre, work of Eulàlia Fàbregas of Sentmenat. Placed in 1962 at the main entrance pond.

Mediterrània, sculpture in alabastre, work of Eulàlia Fàbregas of Sentmenat.

wooden cross from Romania

Pergola con arcada parabolica, obra de Antoni Gaudi i Cornet

The balustrade in front of the building is decorated with white marble busts by an unknown artist, and at the back of the meadow to the left of the palace, the highest part of the enclosure wall is decorated with classic sculptures representing Apollo, Adonis and Antinous, whose author is also unknown.

Antinous, author is unknown

Antinous

Adonis Author unknown

The Ceramics museum was in the Palau

Reial de Pedralbes - the Royal Palace of Pedralbes (used by the Spanish royal

family from 1919 to 1931) since 1990. From March

2013 the ceramics

museum is in its new

location in DHUB

museum on Plaça de les

Glòries.

Outside the park, by the perimeter wall, there are stone sculptures by different artists created between 1928 and 1929: Figura femenina (Female figure) by Àngel Tarrach; the allegory Tarragona by Jaume Otero; the allegory dedicated to Lleida called Agricultura by Manuel Fuxà; two female figures, one by Josep Llimona and the other by Enric Casanovas, and Marina, a female allegorical figure of fishing, a work by Eusebi Arnau

the allegory of Tarragona by

Jaume Otero and the allegory dedicated to Lleida called Agricultura by Manuel FuxàTarragona by Jaume Otero

The allegory of Tarragona by Jaume Otero

The

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gory

of

Tarr

agon

a by

Jau

me

Ote

ro

The allegory dedicated to Lleida called Agricultura by Manuel Fuxà 1927

Enric Casanovas(1882-1948)

La deessa, by Àngel Tarrach (1890-1979)

Josep Llimona (1864-1934)

Marina, a female allegorical figure of fishing, a work by Eusebi Arnau (1864-1933)

Text & pictures: InternetCopyrights of the photos belong to each photographer

Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanuwww.slideshare.net/michaelasanda

Sound: Jose Carreras - Catalan Song - Maig (May)