In my August travel story I wrote about Barcelona’s open air museum Poble Espanyol. To continue with my Barcelona city exploration, in this story I am writing about another museum housed in a grand building which in itself is a work of art. It is the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya or National Art Museum of Catalonia. It is also known as the MNAC in short.
The MNAC is one of the largest museums in Spain. It houses arts and artefacts mainly from Catalonia region and also from other parts of Spain. It is located on the Montjuic hill which is just a short walk from Poble Espanyol.
National Palace Building (Palau Nacional)
The museum is housed in a majestic building known as the Palau Nacional. This building was the main site of the 1929 International Exhibition in Barcelona, featuring original works and reproductions to represent the history of Spanish art. The great dome on the Palau Nacional is inspired by St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City. There are two smaller domes on each side of the great dome.
The Palau Nacional building is complemented by its two extensions, the Poble Espanyol (Spanish Village) the open air architecture museum about which I wrote in one of my previous travel stories and the Palau d’Art Modern (Palace of Modern Art) which was demolished later.
Museum Collections
This magnificent building houses exclusive treasures from Catalonia. The current National Art Museum of Catalonia has been housed in this building since 1934. The Medieval Romanesque Art rooms in the museum were inaugurated in 1995, and the collection was expanded to cover different ages and styles. From 2004 the museum started the display of modern art.
One of the classic collections in the MNAC is the Medieval Romanesque collection. Many of the arts and displays in this section once adorned the rural churches in the Pyrenees and old Catalonia sites. Each item is outstanding and the murals of this collection are absolutely stunning. I was enthralled by this section of the museum and spent most of my time soaking in the beautiful exhibits, paintings, murals and the wooded carvings. I am sharing some photos with brief descriptions of the classic pieces I enjoyed in the museum.
MNAC’s Medieval Romanesque Art from the 11th to 13th centuries includes exceptional set of mural and panel paintings considered the biggest and oldest in Europe. There are also metalworks, wooden and stone sculptures.
The Apse of Sant Climent de Taull is a Romanesque fresco and one of the masterpieces of the European Romanesque Art in the MNAC. Painted in the early 12th century, this was in the church of Sant Climent de Taull in the Catalan Pyrenees. It was removed from there and along with other parts of the frescoes to preserve the paintings.
The Apse of Sant Climent de Taull was painted by The Master of Taull who is considered one of the greatest mural and Romanesque painters of 12th century Catalonia, as well as in Europe. This collection also has the paintings from the triumphal arches, a side apse, and other parts of the church’s paintings.
The Apse of El Burgal from the church of the old monastery of Sant Pere del Burgal includes the decoration of the apse, the triumphal arch and fragments from the chevet (eastern end of a church).
The Apse of Estaon from the former parish church of Santa Eulalia d’Estaon includes decoration of the apse, the triumphal arch and fragments from its north and west walls.
The Baldachin from Tost is a 13th century painted baldachin (aka baldaquin, it is a canopy of state typically placed over an altar or throne) from the church of Sant Marti de Tost. The Tost panel is Tempera with stucco reliefs and remains of varnished metal plate on wood.
One of the basic elements of a Romanesque church were images carved in wood and these were located mainly around the altar. These images were sometimes used in processions. The Virgin from Ger is a wood carving from the 12th century in Catalonia. It depicts the concept of Mary as the the seat of wisdom. She is holding the child on her lap.
The 12th century paintings from the parish church of Santa Maria de Taull covering the apse, the triumphal arches, the nave, and a fragment of the Bath of the Child kept at Sant Climent de Taull. These are restored and displayed as they would have been placed inside the church.
The Medieval Romanesque Art collection has some wonderful altar frontal pieces from various churches of Catalonia. I am sharing some of these here with their description as I noted these while walking through the galleries.
The 12th century Altar frontal from Santa Maria de Taull is from the parish church of Santa Maria de Taull. It is Tempera on wood and exquisite carvings.
The Altar frontal from Esquius is also from the 12th century and probably comes from the old church of Santa Maria in the castle of Besora. It is Tempera and remains of varnished metal plate on wood.
Another 13th century Altar frontal from Cardet is from the parish church of Santa Maria de Cardet. It is Tempera, stucco reliefs and remains of varnished metal plate on wood.
The 13th century Altar frontal from Gia is from the church of Sant Marti de Gia. It is Tempera, stucco reliefs and remains of varnished metal plate on wood.
Another altarpiece where you can see the top panel and some of the top of the dust-shield is missing is the Altarpiece of the Epiphany. This is a 15th century altarpiece from the Augustinian nuns’ convent of Rubielos de Mora. It is Tempera, oil and gold leaf on wood
As you walk through the galleries of the Romanesque Art collections you can see displays of various restored pieces in the museum.
Other collections in the MNAC include Medieval Gothic Art from the 13th to 15th centuries. These collection comprises of liturgical works, with special attention to the altar pieces, sculptures, parchments and decorative pieces.
The 15th century altar from the Barcelona City Hall chapel painted in oil on oak wood was made by Valencian Lluis Dalmau. It depicts the five councillors from the year of the commission of the altar in 1443.
The gallery section with wood carvings from the 13th century has figures of various Saints. Another beautiful display in this section is the carving of a pair of Clerics praying from the 15th century. These carvings are from the facade of the former clerics’ hospital of Sant Sever in Barcelona.
Virgin and Child
One of the iconic Virgin and Child carvings in the museum is made from ivory. This carving is from the 14th century. There are also other carvings of Virgin and Child and each one of them is beautiful in its shape, size and style.
In the MNAC there are also sections with displays of Renaissance and Baroque Arts from the 16th to 18th centuries and Modern Art from the 19th and 20th centuries.
These sections deserve their own time and I decided to take a coffee break at the Terrace cafe and enjoy the view of the city sitting outdoor from the top of the hill. The Rooftop viewpoint is also a great place to visually explore the city of Barcelona. You can even see the famous Sagrada Familia.
Oval Hall (Sala Oval)
The huge space below the Sala dome is used for various events. Natural light flows in through the huge dome and floods the hall beneath. The hall has tiered seating encircled around it. The Dome room also houses one of the biggest organs in Europe. From the outside you can see the four towers on the corners of the Sala Oval which are modelled on the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral.
Magic Fountain of Montjuic (Font Màgica de Montjuïc)
When you walk towards the MNAC from the Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina, you come towards the huge circular fountain famous for its water and light shows choreographed to music. As you climb up towards the museum from the front between the stairs on each side, there is water cascading down the huge steps in the centre. These fountains were designed by Carles Buigas.
The park and garden in front of the museum, Mirador del MNAC, is a lovely to place to relax and soak in the atmosphere of the city from Montjuic mountains. The MNAC both from outside and inside is a wonderful way to spend at least half a day in Barcelona.
HELPFUL HINTS.
- You need at least half a day to enjoy the various displays at the museum. More time the better of course if you are a history and arts fan.
- The cafe or terrace are great places to enjoy a drink and watch the city from the top.
- Do check the opening times and other information at the the MNAC website
- Entrance tickets can be bought online or at the museum
- Nearby there is the Botanical Garden (Jardí Botànic Històric). This is a former quarry site where you can find rare Euro-Siberian plants.
- Also don’t miss Poble Espanyol which is a short walking distance from the MNAC.
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