Casa Meca — The Reconstructed Gothic Palace

The facade visible at Passeig del Born no. 17 is both authentic and deceptive. In 1957, during the removal of plaster, remnants of Gothic windows were uncovered — twin-arched windows with a central colonette, typical of 14th-century Catalan palaces. Rather than simply preserving these traces, the owners commissioned architect Joaquim Vilaseca to completely reconstruct a Neo-Gothic facade: ashlar stone walls, a crenellated side tower, a carpanell arch portal, six triple-arched windows and a top-floor gallery. Vilaseca died in 1963 before the work was finished; Albert Marques Gassol completed it in 1965. A coat of arms of the Meca family was also incorporated — the name comes from Josep de Meca-Cacador i de Cartella, appointed Marquis of Ciutadilla by Philip V. A 14th-century medieval building thus hides behind this 20th-century reconstruction.