The fact that determined the origin of the Museum of History of Barcelona was the stone-by-stone transfer of the Padellàs House, carried out in 1931, from its original location to the King's Square. The works in the new location have brought to light remains of the ancient Roman and Visigothic city. The museum was inaugurated on April 14, 1943.
The visit to the museum begins with the archaeological site of 4,000 m2 located in the basement of the square, which preserves vestiges of the 1st century BC to the 7th century AD. The visit continues in the rooms of the county / royal palace with the permanent exhibition "Barcelona in the high middle age" (8th - 13th century). In the same palace can be visited the Tinell Hall and the Chapel of Saint Agatha. In the Padellàs House are located temporary exhibitions dedicated to modern and contemporary Barcelona.
Plaça del Rei (King's Square), one of the most charming corners of Barcelona, is a quiet monumental square located in the Gothic Quarter. It is surrounded by impressive Gothic and Renaissance buildings. The most significant buildings of the complex are the Royal Palace (Palau Reial Major), residence and seat of the government of the counts of Barcelona and the kings of Aragon in the city, the Royal Chapel of Santa Àgata (14th century), Palace of the Lieutenant (Palau del Lloctinent), a Renaissance 16th century palace, and the Padellàs House.