Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC)

Located on the hill Montjïc, close to several other cultural institutions, the MNAC was constructed for the International Exposition of 1929. Five years later, it was transformed into an art museum, specialising in the mediaeval era. Today, it also houses Romanesque art, as well as the development into art. 

To visit the museum is to successively learn about the different movements in art from a historical perspective, seeing how one morphs into the other, as you go from one room to the next. It’s particularly famous for its collection of Romanesque church paintings, as well as the examples of Catalan art and design from the 19th and 20th centuries. 

One of the great things about the museum is that it showcases aesthetic expressions not only in art but also in religious motifs as well as in furniture and graphic design. This way, it showcases how different materials and ideologies have affected the shape of both things and artworks through different eras. 

Church paintings were a way of telling religious stories during a time of widespread illiteracy, while also emphasising the enormous influence and power of the church. The Art Nouveau-inspired modernisme-movement shied away from the straight lines of the industrial era and preferred organic shapes, to at the same time celebrate nature and craftsmanship while denouncing the technological advancements of the modern age. While you pass through the artefacts and objects on display, you will see the ideological struggles of the past, played out in the shapes of artworks and exclusive everyday objects.

The majestic, Italian-styled building is of major proportions (and the museum is one of the largest in Spain), mirroring the models of academic classicism of the period within the ambit of the universal exposition. 

The large dome was inspired by St. Peter’s of the Vatican, while the two smaller domes on either side found inspiration in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. It’s possible (and recommended) to visit the enormous rooftop, from where you’ll have great views of the city. 

MNAC

Barcelona, Spain