The Biblioteca de Catalunya has been housed in the Antic Hospital de la Santa Creu de Barcelona since 1939—one of the most important Gothic ensembles in Catalunya. Built between the 15th and 17th centuries, it was the largest hospital in Catalunya for many centuries and was the result of the fusion of several hospitals that existed in medieval Barcelona. The first stone of the Hospital de la Santa Creu was laid in 1401 in the presence of King Martí l'Humà. Most work was finished in 1414, the remaining were restarted one century later.
The library's primary mission is to collect, preserve and spread Catalan bibliographic production, to look after its conservation, and to spread its bibliographic heritage while maintaining the status of a center for research and consultation. The Library occupies 8,820 square meters and has nearly four million items in its archives.
