The Herbolari del Rei opens the doors of its historic and museum shop. It had been closed for almost three years. We feared foreshadowing the worst. It hurt, and a lot.
Its trajectory over 195 years has been impeccable. The delicacy with which it was ornamented, as far back as 1828, was soon significantly enriched. It was not without reason that the outstanding scenographer and painter Francesc Soler i Rovirosa was hired, who deserved to be honored with a monument in the Catalan Courts in front of the Avenida Palace hotel. With it came the creation of a delicious artistic ensemble and very much in line with the specialty. He polished himself a lot, because he was a friend of the owner Josep Vilà, a fellow resident and customer.
The masterpiece of such an intense and welcoming space is the large sculpture carved in marble by the Baratta brothers (authors of the figure of the Catalan Genius that culminates in the monumental fountain of the Pla de Palau), dedicated to honoring the memory of the sage Linnaeus.
This set has just spelled closure and even its demise. The owner of the property reached a rental agreement with Paulina Doroshenko, of Ukrainian nationality, who has shown a very refined sensitivity and in accordance with the specialty that has distinguished the herbalist.
Not only has this museum legacy been carefully adapted and cared for, which the previous tenants, Trinitat Sabatés and Josep Parés, maintained with such rigor, but it has also decided to introduce some practices, such as the following: no type of plastics will be used and will prioritize the use of paper, cardboard and bags.
The people of Barcelona, aware of the abundance that their city treasures in terms of emblematic and historic shops, denounce the constant closures experienced by the heritage. What would undoubtedly contribute to alleviating this unfortunate scenario would be a change in their behavior: less shopping at department stores and preferring to distinguish themselves as customers of emblematic establishments.
The King's Herbarium awaits your visit.
