Museo Nacional Art Catalunya MNAC in Palau Nacional

About Museo Nacional Art Catalunya MNAC

The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Known locally as MNAC is a large national art Museum located in the Palau Nacional building in Montjuïc mountain at the top of the Montjuïc Magic Fountains and Fira 1 complex.

MNAC houses an expansive collection of Medieval Romanesque Art and Gothic Art that is considered to be one of the largest. The MNAC museum also has halls dedicated to Renaissance and Baroque Art, as well as Modern Catalan Art from the 19th and 20th century in the form of posters, Drawings and prints.

The collection of Romanesque Art from the 11th to 13th centuries is made up of an exceptional set of mural paintings and a rich collection of panel paintings, the biggest and oldest in Europe.

Palau Nacional & MNAC History

The Palau National was built for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition, the construction of which was inspired by the main dome of the Vatican and the four towers inspired by the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostella.

For the 1929 International Expo, the Palau national housed Art works and from 1934 has housed the Museum of National Art of Catalunya (MNAC).

Between 1996 and 2004, the palace was extended to accommodate the National Art Museum's entire collection.

The Palau Nacional is organised around a large central luminous atrium with the inside of the central dome being decorated with frescos. The atrium connects to the multiple halls that house the art collections.

Contained within the building is an arena type room called the Sala Oval that was conceived as a space for the hosting of great events such as the opening ceremony for 1929 world fair. When you visit the museum you can enter and sit down and enjoy the view of the arena space with the Pipe Organ at one end.

Because the Palau Nacional construction was rushed for the 1929 International Exhibition, the building has undergone multiple refurbishments to correct defects. The roof was also damaged during the Civil War (1936 to 1939). The roof and structural repairs were carried out from 1960 to 1980 under Italian architect Gae Aulenti. From 1990 to 2000, under Enric Steegman, additional repairs were performed. In 2009 titanium bars were imbedded inside the structure to definitively correct cracks.

Visiting Museo Nacional Art Catalunya MNAC

This museum is one of the hidden gems of Barcelona and possibly more famous for the views enjoyed by millions of tourists looking down on the Magic Fountains. I highly recommend spending time inside even if you are not an art lover because there are plenty of rooms with diverse collections covering all periods.

The entry ticket is valid to visit any two days within a one month period after purchase. Discounted rates for students, seniors and children are also available on the website.

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya MNAC Opening Hours

• Winter October to April:
• Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00h to 18:00h
• Sundays & public holidays: 10:00h to 15:00h
• Summer May to September:
• Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00h to 20:00h
• Sundays & public holidays: 10:00h to 15:00h
• Closed:Monday's except public holidays, January 1, May 1 & December 25.

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