Leader in legal tomes

The Barcelona Bar Association Library was created in 1833, coinciding with the foundation of the legal institution. At first it did not have a fixed home and moved from house to house depending on who was the dean. It was not until the middle of the 20th century when the association commissioned architect Agustí Borrell to build its current headquarters, Palauet Casades. In the case of the library, it was designed following the English style, majestic and with a recurrent use of wood. Inside we can also find examples of modernist furniture, such as a desk designed by the famous Barcelona architect, Lluís Domènech i Montaner.

The library’s collection includes scrolls, legal pleas, manuscripts and printed books from the 11th century to 1900. There are 228 manuscripts, 2,111 scrolls, 10,000 pleas and 2,350 books from the 16th century alone. In addition to the book selected for us by director, Patrícia Sanpera, other remarkable works in the library include the Books of the Consulate of the Sea, which contained all the regulations governing maritime transport.

In all, the library boasts over 350,000 volumes, some 1,600 different periodicals and 50 databases with legislative, jurisprudence and doctrinal content. The library is considered the third best specialised law library in Europe, after the ones in Freiburg (Germany) and Bologna (Italy), which are also publicly funded. The association’s library is open to members, although students and teachers of law can also apply for access.

Compilation of the Constitutions and other rights of Catalonia

Year: 1495

Printer: Unknown