The Catalan Parliament is located in the Parliament Palace in Ciutadella Park. It represents the people of Catalonia and it’s the most important institution of the Generalitat – which is the institution that politically structures the autonomous government of Catalunya.The Palace used to be an old arsenal built by order of Philip V from 1716 until 1748. The construction was led by one of the most important officers of Louis XIV and Philip V - the engineer Prospero de Verboom (1665 - 1744).
The Tower of Sant Joan (torre de Sant Joan) was located nearby the lake that nowadays we see in the Park. In its dungeons many political prisoners were held and tortured (between 1719 and 1886). In the year 1869 the building was demolished and nowadays only the arsenal, the Governor’s palace (today ‘Instituto Verdaguer’) and the chapel are still standing.
The Parliament Palace has two floors and an attic (‘buhardilla’). It was built using red bricks and stones from Montjuic. In 1889 the Barcelona City Council (Ayuntamiento de Barcelona) agreed to turn the old arsenal into the royal Palace and the works were directed by Pere Falqués – one of the most important Catalan Modernist architects together with Antoni Gaudi and Domenech i Montaner. He created three balconies in the first floor, decorated the façade and located there the stone shield of the ‘puerta del Socors’.
In 1932 the Barcelona City Council ceded the palace and it became the seat of Parliament. The rebuilding work was coordinated by Josep Tarradellas – the Government Minister – and directed by the decorator Santiago Marco. The inaugural session was held in December 1932 with the President of the Generalitat – Mr. Francesc Maciá
In 1939 the General Franco's troops entered Barcelona and the Parliament Palace was turn into a barracks. The Sessions Room (‘Salon de Sesiones’) remained closed for 37 years. In 1945 the Museum of Modern Art was open in the Palace, later the Numismatic Office (‘Gabinete Numismático’) and the Library of Art Museums.
In 1980 the parliamentary elections were held and the Palace was restored and up-dated.