Constructed in the mid-16th century, by order of Emperor Charles V, some of the stones used on the building’s facade have visible Hebrew inscriptions on them.They are tombstones from the former Jewish cemetery on Montjuïc. Once the cemetery was abandoned, material was taken from the site for use in construction. When the Jewish community disappeared, some members left behind debts, which their creditors demanded to collect. According to historian Jordi Casanova, the tombstones were highly valued as construction material, and since the cemetery was on royal property, the king allowed their use as payment for services and debts.They’re not whole tombstones, rather fragments cut out to fit the walls, and it is for this reason that little meaning can be deciphered from the inscriptions.