National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC)

The National Art Museum of Catalonia (Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, MNAC) is a museum located on the Montjuic mountain in Barcelona, at the end of the Avenida Maria Cristina, inside the building of the National Palace (Palau Nacional). The construction of the palace where the museum is located began in 1926 and finished in 1929. It was designed for the 1929 Barcelona Universal Exposition by Cendoya Eugene, Enric Catà and Pere Domènech i Roura. The museum was inaugurated in 1934.

The building of the museum was built in the Eclectic architectural style or "historicist revival" and combines different elements, especially from Baroque and Renaissance style. The famous central dome is reminiscent of St. Peter's Basilica, while the side towers are similar to those of the Giralda in Seville. The interior is in the 19th century style, which contrasts sharply with the architectural style of the building. Several artists were involved in the decoration of the rooms of the palace, such as the sculptors Enric Casanovas, Josep Dunyach, Frederic Marès and Josep Llimona. The main room is the Oval Office, which, having 2,300 square metres, is also the largest room of the palace.

The museum holds various art collections and is divided into Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque and Modern art sections. Since 2004, the museum also houses the works from the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection. It is worth mentioning that it is home to the famous painting of Jesus Pantocrator de Taüll from the Church of Sant Romà.

Source of description: planerGO
Neighbourhood Montjuic (Sants-Montjuïc)
Price definition of price
Geographical coordinates 41.3690373, 2.1531419
Address 08038 Barcelona, Mirador del Palau Nacional 3 - 15
Construction dates - 1929
Opening date 1929
Area 0.03
More information official website
How to arrive? official transport site

How to arrive