A Noucentista palace over the sea in Sitges
The Palau de Maricel stands in the old town of Sitges. It was built in the early twentieth century by the American industrialist and collector Charles Deering, and the engineer and art critic Miquel Utrillo directed the works. The style is Noucentista. The main areas are the Saló d’Or (Gold Room), the Saló Blau (Blue Room), the Sala Capella (Chapel Room), the Sala Vaixells (Ships Room), the terraces and the cloister, and the last two have a view over the Mediterranean.
Civil weddings are held in the Saló d’Or, which the site calls the most solemn space of the building. The Sitges Museums publish a calendar of ceremony dates and time slots and take applications by email. You must also complete the Civil Marriage File at the civil registry of the municipality where you live, then deliver it to the Sitges Civil Registry. Without the file in order the ceremony cannot be held. If you live abroad, ask early how this applies to you. For the celebration, the Saló Blau is a multipurpose room for banquets and cocktails, with a stated capacity of 80 to 110 people, and the terraces and cloister are used for events of different formats. The site gives different capacities for the Saló d’Or on different pages, so ask for the current number.
The palace suits a small, formal ceremony by the sea in a historic building.
For your photos
Ask first about the terraces and the cloister. They are the places with a view over the Mediterranean, and the palace also uses them for concerts and visits, so check whether you can use them before or after your ceremony slot. The 2026 calendar lists morning slots (11:00 to 13:00) and late afternoon slots (17:00 to 19:00). A late afternoon slot leaves more time for soft light outside, but check the sunset time for your date.
The Saló d’Or is a ceremony room for a small group, so a wide lens helps. There is no public lift, so plan how to carry equipment. Set aside 30 to 45 minutes for portraits in the old town around the palace. The Saló d’Or and the Saló Blau are indoors, but ask what the rain plan is for the terraces and the cloister.
Good to know
- Location: old town of Sitges, province of Barcelona. By car take the C-32 to exit 30 (Sitges Centre); by train, line R2 South from Estació de França.
- Ceremonies: civil weddings in the Saló d’Or, on dates set by the Sitges Museums. Applications are sent by email.
- Other areas: Saló Blau (banquets and cocktails, 80 to 110 people), Sala Capella, Sala Vaixells, terraces and cloister.
- Access: there is no public lift to the Saló d’Or.
- Contact: museusdesitges@diba.cat, +34 93 894 03 64 (Monday to Saturday, 10:00 to 18:00).
- Website: museusdesitges.cat/en/museum/palau-de-maricel/palau-de-maricel.
