The Barcelona City Council has recovered the Palau del Marquès d'Alcarràs, in the Laberint gardens, after years of deterioration and, finally, some works to secure the structure. In parallel, visits are organized on Wednesdays and Sundays until next January with prior reservation. The visit is highly recommended, as it allows one to discover a very forgotten space in the city and immerse oneself in a building whose rehabilitation works have not left behind its aesthetic of decadence and which allows one to travel through its ten centuries of history.
The palace was one of the settings for the 2006 film Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, which tells the story of a serial killer in the years leading up to the French Revolution who seeks the perfect fragrance. Some of the film's scenes were shot on the building's large terrace and in the noble rooms on the first floor. However, it is very difficult to recognize the latter, partly because they were decorated for the occasion, but also because between the film and the start of the rehabilitation works in 2022, the degree of deterioration of the palace was notable. Even so, the experience is worth it.
The palace has its origin in the Sobirana tower, an elevated watchpoint built in the 11th century. From the tower, structures were added, until it became a fortified farmhouse where wine was produced and which was severely damaged during the War of the Spanish Succession. It was not until the 18th century when Joan Antoni Desvalls, Marquis of Alcarràs, began to build the mansion that finally became the family's residential palace, especially during the summer.
The descendants of the Desvalls family kept the estate until 1967, when it was acquired by the city council, with the aim of integrating the gardens into the city's public park network. In addition to the palace, the most unique element of the park is the 18th-century cypress labyrinth, whose design was commissioned by the Desvalls family to the Italian architect Domenico Bagutti, the French gardener Joseph Delvalet, and the master builders Jaume and Andreu Valls. Currently, the labyrinth is undergoing rehabilitation.
In recent times, the palace remained closed for security reasons, as the structure presented many deficiencies. For this reason, the rehabilitation works had as their main objective to secure the building. The exterior facades, in neo-Arab style, have also been rehabilitated, the roof has been repaired, and the building has been provided with electrical installation and drainage.
The visit begins in the exterior circular garden and access is through the main door to tour some of the rooms on the ground floor. Among other things, one can contemplate the structure of the Sobirana tower, especially the remains of its Romanesque base in the lowest part. On the first floor, there is a large dining room and the noble halls where part of Perfume was filmed. There one can admire the remains of the decoration, basically very worn 19th-century paintings, but which still show the beauty of decadence and allow one to glimpse what the palace's years of splendor were like.
Each room on the floor leads to a large terrace with views of the gardens and Barcelona. It was on this terrace that another scene from the aforementioned film was shot, a banquet for Parisian high society, as the film mainly takes place in the French capital. One also accesses the palace's interior garden, known as the Boixos garden, with an important display of trees of different origins from around the world.
The rehabilitation works have cost 4.7 million euros. No work had been done on the building since the 1980s, when the right wing was adapted to house a gardening training center for Parcs i Jardins, an activity that continues. The City Council is now studying the future use of the palace. It has been mentioned at some point that the Casa de Marruecos or an interpretation center for Collserola could be installed.
While we wait for what will finally be decided, it is a good opportunity to take advantage of the free visits. It is a highly recommended activity.