Guide to Barcelona

El Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC)

Thursday, 30 April 2009 13:31

Barcelona museums

When you're fond of art and like to see all kinds of sculptures, paintings, objets d'art, drawings, engravings, posters, photography and coinage, then MNAC is the place to be.

This museum explains the history of Catalan from the Romanesque period to the mid-twentieth century. Looking at the Romanesque and Gothic collections you can see they are tipically characterized by the Catalan provenance, although the Gothic also has comparisons with other provenances. In the Ranaissance and Baroque collections you can see beautiful work of great painters like Zurbarán, Velásquez, El Greco, Cranach and Rubens. Then there are also a lot of pieces from the end of the 19th and the early 20th century, also mostly made by Catalan artist and characterized by slyles like Modernism, Noucentism and Avant-garde.

When the museum opened in 1995 they started off with the Romanesque collection. They opened the Gothic section in 1997. Next the Renaissance, Baroque and the 19th and 20th century collections were added in the year 2000. When all the collections were in place, the official opening took place in 2004.

The museum is establishe in Palau Nacional. The neo-Baroque building was designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch for the World fair in 1929. The museum takes a prominent place on Montjuïc and was rebuilded by Gae Aulenti.

Contact:
Palau Nacional, Parc de Montjuïc, 08038 Barcelona

Opening times:
- Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 7 pm
- Sunday and pubic holidays from 10 am to 2.30 pm
- Monday closed except for public holidays
- Closed on January 1st, May 1st and December 25th

Prices:
- General ticket 8.50 euro (valid for 2 days)
- When you want to visit the museum with groups there are reduced prices
- Free visits for people under the age of 16 and over 65

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