Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya

The Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) is a very popular museum with an excellent collection of Romanesque church paintings, which is considered to be the most complete in the world. The museum also features works of art from various periods, including Romanesque to mid-twentieth century. The museum is housed in the remarkable Palau Nacional on Mount Montjuïc.

The building

Located on the summit of Mount Montjuïc, the imposing Palau Nacional building was designed for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition.

The surprising palace is designed in a Classical style and influenced by Renaissance architecture. It has over 32,000 square meters and is beautifully decorated with mural paintings and interesting architectural elements.

The building’s main areas include the Oval Hall, Throne Hall and the impressive main dome. 

Collections

• Romanesque Art: The museum houses an exceptional and unique collection of Romanesque church paintings, including valuable eleventh and twelfth century art work.
• Gothic Art: The Museu features an interesting collection of twelfth to fourteenth century mural paintings, stone and wood sculptures and numerous works of art in precious metals.
• Renaissance and Baroque Art: This collection includes masterpieces by internationally acclaimed artists like Tiziano, Tintoretto, El Greco and Rubens. The Renaissance and Baroque Art Collection reflects the art produced during the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth century and offers an overview of how it evolved.  
• Modern Art: From Neoclassicism to Avant-garde, it includes the most important Catalan nineteenth century to the mid twentieth century visual art.
• Catalonia coin collection: The collection features coins from the sixth century BC to the present day with over 135,000 pieces.
• Drawing and Engraving Collection: With over 100,000 works of art including drawings, engravings and posters, visitors will be able to discover some of the most representative art movements.

A must-see museum

The Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) is one of the best museums in Barcelona. Not only is it housed in a remarkable building, but it also features interesting and diverse exhibitions. The museum is very large and if you are an art fan, you’ll spend a whole morning or afternoon exploring this excellent museum.  

If you are not an art fan and you’re in Montjuïc, you can visit the Palau Nacional building for free without accessing the Museum.