In the 14th century the church of Sant Jaume was built here. A fire in 1822 damaged the church and had to be demolished the following year to give way to a new square, which received the name of the church in a kind of posthumous tribute. The church’s cemetery moved outside the city wall, giving planners enough space for ample space.

The square is located at the confluence of the old main streets of the Roman barcino, the cardus (now calle de la Llibreteria and the Call) and Decumanus (now Ciutat and Bisbe street). It was the Roman Forum, the center of the Roman city in which the Temple of Augustus stood, whose remains can be admired on the Paradis street.

This plaza has witnessed some of the most important events in the history of Catalonia, such as the proclamation of the Catalan State or the return of Josep Tarradelles exile in 1977. Some Sunday morning groups of families and friends meet to dance Sardana, the national dance of Catalonia, very Catalan moment that is worth seeing.