Our History

    Origins in the Middle Ages

    The corporations of merchants, industrialists and shipping companies that have existed in Catalonia for centuries represent a long tradition that persists today through their main heirs: the Official Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Navigation.

    In the case of the Chamber of Barcelona, ​​its origins go back to the entities that during the Middle Ages, a period in which Catalonia became a commercial power in the Mediterranean, founded La Llotja de Mar, the Consolat de Mar and the Junta Particular of Commerce

    Imatge que conté símbol, triangle, línia, Simetria Descripció generada automàticament

    The Chamber’s coat of arms is inspired by that of the Consulate of the Sea, one of its precursor institutions.

    All these institutions have left a historical mark on the economic development of Catalonia, a mission that the Chambers continue today from two sides: the representation of all economic activities and the collaboration with public administrations.  

    More than 135 contributing to economic progress

    The Official Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Navigation of Barcelona was created in 1886, coinciding with a period where the great urban and cultural transformations that would put Barcelona back on the international stage, from the Cerdà Plan to Catalan Modernism, were emerging.

    Heir of the Consulate of the Sea and the Board of Trade, the Chamber was born with the mission of defending the general interest of the economy and achieving the common good of commerce, industry and shipping in the country. Manuel Girona i Agrafel, a renowned Catalan politician and businessman, was its first president.

    Imatge que conté roba, Cara humana, persona, retrat Descripció generada automàticament

    Manuel Girona, first president of the Chamber of Barcelona.

    The beginnings of the Chamber of Barcelona were not easy. Until 1911, the corporation lived through a period marked by low representation and a lack of financial resources. In 1912 the institution was divided into two: the Chamber of Industry and the Chamber of Commerce and Navigation.

    This division lasted for decades and witnessed events that shook the country such as the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, the Second Republic, the Civil War and the Franco regime. In 1967 the two Chambers were reunified again.

    List of Presidents and Secretaries of the history of the Chamber of Commerce of Barcelona 

    Currently, the Chamber is a public law corporation regulated by law 14/2002, of the official chambers of commerce, industry and navigation of Catalonia and the General Council of the Chambers, which provides the Chambers with regulations adapted to the territory and enhances the aspects where they must collaborate by deepening the representative role of the general interests of commerce, industry and navigation and of collaboration with the Administration, and in effective management at the service of Catalan companies.

    La Llotja de Mar, corporate headquarters

    The Llotja de Mar was built in the 14th century as a meeting place for merchants arriving in Barcelona, ​​which was positioned as one of the leading cities in Mediterranean trade. Initially built following the Gothic style, La Llotja was expanded over the following years as the needs of merchants increased.

    In the 18th century, after a period of decline, La Llotja was reformed following the neoclassical style, although in some places such as the Saló de Contractacions, the largest, most emblematic and ancient room of La Llotja, they are still preserved original elements of medieval Gothic.

    Imatge que conté arcade, arc, Simetria, edifici Descripció generada automàticament

    La Llotja de Mar Contracts Hall.

    For centuries, La Llotja has been a privileged witness to the development of trade, art and architecture in Catalonia. During the medieval and modern times, it was the seat of the Consulate of the Sea, in the second half of the 18th century and the first of the 19th it housed the Royal Junta Particular de Comerç de Barcelona, ​​and since 1886 it has housed the Chamber of Commerce of Barcelona .

    La Llotja has also been the seat of institutions such as the Barcelona Stock Exchange, as well as different training and art schools, including the Barcelona Academy of Fine Arts. Internationally recognized artists such as Antoni Gaudí and Pablo Picasso studied in their classrooms.

    Discover the history and heritage wealth of La Llotja de Mar.

    Documentary fund

    The Chamber of Barcelona has a documentary fund cataloged and classified in the UPF Catalog and the CCUC made up of more than 1,300 brochures. A documentary heritage of great value for researchers and scholars of the Spanish economy of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

    The documentation mainly addresses economic and business issues and integrates documents on the most varied aspects of the Spanish and international economy. In many cases, these are publications that are difficult to locate in other document collections.

    The Fund of the Chamber of Commerce can be consulted in the Digital Memory of Catalonia