The Generalitat was at the origin of a commission of the Catalan parliament made up of two representatives from each class, whose main job was to collect tax. The palace, a huge building with three floors, was built in the early 14C, originally in the Gothic style, but later altered. The façade on Sant Jaume Square, was built around 1600 by Pere Blay, the leading Catalan architect at the time, and is a fine example of Renaissance architecture.