Can Ramis

Can Ramis is a historic townhouse standing at the heart of Sant Celoni, a town in the Vallès Oriental district of Catalonia, a short drive north of Barcelona. It faces the Plaça de la Vila right next to the town hall and is listed in Catalonia's Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Today it houses an exhibition hall and the local tourist office, making it a natural first stop for anyone exploring the town.

What is the history behind the building?

The Ramis family, whose name the house still carries, settled in Sant Celoni back in the 16th century as part of the local nobility. The building itself, however, dates from the 18th century — that is when the structure visitors see today took shape. The Ramis family coat of arms is still carved into the lintel above the main entrance, the clearest surviving trace of the original owners.

In the 1950s the house underwent a major restoration led by architect Joaquim de Ros i de Ramis. He added the arcaded gallery on the top floor, resting on slender columns, reusing arched elements salvaged from a demolished building in Barcelona and fitting them onto the facade of Can Ramis. That intervention gave the house the distinctive silhouette it still has.

What will you see on site?

The building rises over three levels: a ground floor and two upper storeys. The first floor is marked by balconies overlooking the square, while the second floor carries the arcaded gallery with its rounded "carpanell" arches on small columns. Altogether it reads as a classic Catalan casa pairal — an ancestral house built for a well-off provincial family — reshaped by later architectural additions.

The ground floor now functions as an exhibition space made available to local artists and cultural associations from Sant Celoni. Shows rotate through the year, so it is worth checking the current programme with the town's culture department before visiting. A tourist information point also operates inside the building, making Can Ramis a sensible place to pick up maps and advice before heading further afield, for instance toward the nearby Montseny mountains.

How do you get there, and when is the best time to visit?

Can Ramis sits at Plaça de la Vila 25, a few steps from Sant Celoni's town hall, in a town well connected to Barcelona by both train and road. The tourist office inside is open Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — worth factoring into a visit if you are counting on picking up local information in person. The exhibitions on the ground floor follow a separate schedule tied to the cultural calendar.

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons to explore Sant Celoni, when temperatures are mild and the trails of the nearby Montseny Natural Park are at their best. Summer brings more visitors passing through on their way to the mountains, while winter is noticeably quieter.

Frequently asked questions

What is Can Ramis? An 18th-century townhouse in the centre of Sant Celoni, once home to the Ramis family, now used as an exhibition hall and tourist office.

Is admission free? Yes, the exhibitions held inside are free and open to both residents and visitors, run as a local cultural initiative by the town council.

When is the tourist office at Can Ramis open? Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

What else is worth combining with a visit to Can Ramis? A walk through Sant Celoni's historic centre, and for nature lovers, a trip out to the nearby Montseny Natural Park.