Palau Moja

If you walk along La Rambla, stop in front of this palace reflecting the high bourgeoisie of Barcelona and admire its entrance and main staircase.

Entering the doors of the Palau Moja means discovering how the high bourgeoisie of Barcelona lived in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The Palau Moja was built by order of Josep de Copons i d&#rsquo;Oms, Marquis of Moja and his wife Maria Lluísa Descatllar on the tower and wall of Portaferrissa. The project was carried out by the architect Josep Mas. Its style, characterized by the sobriety of lines, predominance of straight lines and absence of decoration, shows details of the late Baroque along with influences of French Neoclassicism.

At the end of the last century, the palace was acquired by Antonio López, Marquis of Comillas, who used it as his habitual residence after making renovations and changing the decoration. The Marquis of Comillas was a patron and protector of Jacint Verdaguer. Mossèn Cinto resided on the second floor of the Palau between 1876 and 1891.

The Palau remained in the hands of the Comillas family. In the 1930s, Juan Antonio Güell i López opened the porches on the side of La Rambla.

During the Spanish Civil War, the Palau became the headquarters of the CNT and later housed offices of different organizations.

The building fell into disrepair in 1959 upon the death of the third Marquis of Comillas. After a long period of abandonment during which it suffered a couple of fires, it was rehabilitated and adapted in 1984, being designated as the headquarters of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage of the Government of Catalonia.

One of the most remarkable elements of the palace is the large square two-story hall adorned with murals by Francesc Pla "el Vigatà." On one side of the hall, there is the chapel also decorated by Vigatà. The noble area of the Palau is only accessible during events or by arranged visit.

On the ground floor, you can find Espai Moja, a center for the promotion of Catalan heritage, a tourist information office, and a cafeteria.

The General Directorate of Cultural Heritage organizes free guided tours on the second and fourth weekends of each month. Prior reservation is required.

You can also take a virtual tour on these links: 

• Catalan tour:  https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=TK8pvX8g7Uh&tour=1 
• Spanish tour: https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=4d5gsa5uean9ybnxn5k05rtbd&lang=es&tour=1 
• English tour:  https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=n14dzmi3c2qye7su6naqw4z9c&lang=es&tour=1
• French tour: https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=cq6d70uiuix7r9nwsrw3k5uxb&lang=es&tour=1