Museo Picasso Barcelona - Picasso Museum Barcelona

About Barcelona Picasso Museum

The Picasso Museum of Barcelona, opened on 9 March 1963 is an expansive permanent Picasso collection of over 4000 works housed within 5 adjacent medieval palaces in Montcada Street in the fashionable Born District of Barcelona.

Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 - 8 April 1973) was a prolific Spanish painter, sculptor, print-maker, ceramicist and theatre designer who's work can be divided into periods.

The architecture of the Picasso Museum

The Picasso Museum is actually an amalgamation of five large mansion houses (or minor palaces!) of former medieval 13th and 14th century wealthy merchants in Montcada street of the Born Neighbourhood of Barcelona with a total space of over ten thousand square metres.

All five palaces are in the style of Gothic Catalan and follow the same layout of a central open courtyard with external stairs to the first floor (or noble floor). The ground floor was stables and storage space.

• Palau Berenguer d'Aguilar - Carrer de Montcada 15: The first building occupied by the museum. Between the 13th and 14th centuries the building belonged to various nobles of the Court of Aragon. It was purchased in 1386 by the bourgeois family Corominas-Despla, who then sold it fourteen years later to Berenguer Aguilar, from which the palace is named. Later owners included several members of the Catalan bourgeoisie prior to the building's purchase by the City Council on 3 November 1953.
• Casa del Baró de Castellet - Carrer de Montcada 17: 13th Century medieval palace owned by the Gerona family during the 15th century. Changed hands between the bourgeois and aristocratic families of Barcelona till 1797 when owner Mariano Alegre Aparici Amat received the noble title of Baron de Castellet at the hands of King carlos IV of Spain, giving the palace its name. Upon the death of the Baron, the building was bequeathed to the Hospital of the Holy Cross, who rented it to different tenants until they sold it to the Rivers family. The City Council then purchased the building in the 1950s.
• Palacio Meca - Carrer de Montcada 19: From 13 and 14th Century and remodelled in the 18th century. In 1349 the palace was owned by Jaume Cavaller (Minister of the City Council) who's daughter married The politician Ramon Despla who's son, Ramon Despla Cavaller converted it to the largest palace on the block. The building later became the property of the family of Cassador, Marquis of Ciutadilla with Josep Meca i Cassador giving the palace its name. The next family to own it, the Milans, restored the building after it was bombarded in the 1714 War of Spanish Succession. In 1901, came the Hermanos de la Doctrina Cristiana and Montepio of Santa Madrona religious oorders. Montepio became a bank who ceded the palace to the City Council on 5 December 1977. The Palace was reopened as part of the museum on 11 January 1982.
• Casa Mauri - Carrer de Montcada 21: Between 1378 and 1516 the building was owned by the Rocha family and in 1716 it was owned by F. Casamada. During the 19th century renovations were made by the owner Josep Vidal Torrents with the building being industrial. In 1943 the building was bought by Mauri bakeries until being acquired by Museu Picasso in 1999.
• Palau Finestres - Carrer de Montcada 23: built on the foundations of a building dating to the 13th century and occupies a former Roman necropolis. Between 1363 and 1516 the area belonged to the Marimon family. In 1872, the owner of Casa Mauri, Josep Vidal Torrents, bought the building in order to annex it to his home. The City acquired the building in 1970.

Image Gallery for Barcelona Picasso Museum

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