At the top of the iconic Fuentes del Montjuïc fountains, you can find one of the most significant museums in not just Barcelona, but in all of Spain. The Museo Nacional de Arte de Cataluña (National Museum of Catalan Art, or MNAC) starts surprising you even from the outside, as it is housed in the impressive Palacio Nacional de Montjuïc. But wait until you see inside. From our boutique hotel on Parallel, this museum is just a pleasant walk away. We’re waiting for you!
The MNAC opened its doors for the first time in the 30’s, although it wouldn’t be presented to the public under its current name until 1995. The museum houses the most important collection of Roman murals in the world, focusing on objects from the 11th and 13th century. This collection also includes stone, wood, and gold sculptures.
Gothic art is another cornerstone of the collection. You can see works like murals of the conquest of Mallorca, the Virgen de los Consellers, and pieces like the Arquilla con Guerreros. In terms of Catalan Gothic painters, names like Jaume Huguet and Bernat Martorell stand out.
In the Renaissance and Baroque section of the museum, you can see the work of Catalan artists like Antoni Viladomat, but also of other national and international artists like Velazquez, Titian, and El Greco.
That brings us to Modern Art, an era that combines neoclassicism, modernism, and novecentismo. From the 14th to 20th centuries, you’ll see names like Gaudi, Picasso, Fortuny, and Joan Miró, and of course, their most well-known works displayed in the museum.
These sections of the Museo Nacional de Arte de Cataluña are filled out by other thematic spaces related to coin collecting, photography, drawings, and engravings. More than 70,000 engravings, 50,000 drawings, and 40,000 photographs form the basis of these areas.
The museum doesn’t just shine because of its tremendous collection, but also because of the majesty of some if its spaces. Among the most special spaces you’ll find the Sala de la Cúpula; the old Throne Room, which now houses a restaurant, and the Sala Oval, which is filled with light thanks to the building’s enormous cupola.
The whimsical stair of honor, flanked by a pair of sculptures, deserves mention, as well as the old Tea Room. Finally, you can climb to the viewing point to see the city in all its glory. Enjoy your stay at our boutique hotel close to Montjuic, Barcelona.
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