Biblioteca Francesca Bonnemaison

This building houses the legacy of the Biblioteca Popular de la Dona (Popular Women's Library) -the first popular public library only for women that was created in Europe- and the Institut de Cultura (Institute of Culture), two key bodies in the emancipation of women in the history of Barcelona. When Francesca Bonnemaison originally founded them in 1909-10, they were located in the Parish of Santa Ana, later moving to Carrer Elisabets. Its success forced the two institutions to move to their current location on Carrer Sant Pere Més Baix, in 1922.

This listed building is a noble construction dating from the 16th or 17th century, part of the city's historic-artistic architectural heritage. Its irregular stone façade features wrought iron balconies and tiles from the 18th century. In 1922, to accommodate the Institute of Culture and the Women's Popular Library, the courtyard was renovated and the rest of the building was constructed with a façade facing Carrer Verdaguer i Callís.

The Francesca Bonnemaison Library currently occupies this stately home that once housed the two institutions and it houses a cultural center and a public library specializing in feminist texts and documents, still called the Popular Women's Library. It has established itself as a key center for promoting the active participation of women in all spheres as well as a driving force for equality policies and women's rights.