Barcelona’s Memory
The Municipal Archive opens an exhibition that reveals the link between the documents it preserves and the lives of the city’s residents, past and present.
Chances are… you are part of the Municipal Archive of Barcelona. Every time someone is born, marries, or registers in the city, they generate documents that end up there. Want to see how it all works—and to what extent your own life is reflected in the papers kept within those walls? Until November 23, you can visit “Barcelona: The Archive We Are” at the Saló del Tinell.
The exhibition shows that the Archive isn’t a distant or abstract institution. It’s a living, shared space that connects us directly to our history. Around one hundred pieces are on display: original documents (until late September you could even see the fifteenth-century Llibre Verd de Barcelona), as well as facsimiles and reproductions selected from the nearly fifty kilometers of materials safeguarded by the Archive.
The selection covers centuries of the city’s history but also highlights the Archive’s role today as an essential public service. You’ll learn about its own evolution—from the thirteenth century to today’s era of digital records—while exploring themes such as local governance, the physical fabric of the city, and the trades and professions that shaped Barcelona. Expect to find everything from antique maps to building plans of places you know well.
And notice where you are: the Saló del Tinell in the Palau Reial Major, at Plaça del Rei. The very setting of the exhibition is part of the story it wants to tell.
Visiting the show also means understanding how the Archive works, gaining tools to develop a critical perspective, and reflecting on the role that institutions like this play in preserving memory and sustaining democracy.
If you do not want to miss an exhibition about the history of your city from the registry of those who live in, come to “Barcelona: l’Arxiu que som”, at Saló del Tinell, but first, check the website.