Courtyard of the Despuig Palace

The Despuig Palace, like the attached Oriol Palace, is representative of the Catalan civil Gothic style of the 13th-16th centuries. Of particular note is its courtyard, with two elements to consider: the large lateral outer staircase, with two sections, and the exterior gallery with pointed arches that are supported by four-lobed columns, with simple capitals with plant decorations. The entrance gateway is a rounded arch with large voussoirs.

Its name comes from the owner family, the Despuigs, and is where the fifth colloquium of the book “Los Col·loquis de la insigne ciutat de Tortosa” (Colloquia on the Distinguished City of Tortosa) took place. The building also belonged to the Corder family, as can be seen in the shield that is still preserved over the door that leads to the stairway of the courtyard.  

The building housed the Popular Library, and currently, together with the Oriol Palace, it houses the Music School and Conservatory of Professional Degree of the Government of Tarragona in Tortosa. The works, which started in 2011, allowed for the merger of the two Palaces internally, preserving the independent accesses from Carrer de la Rosa.