Palau Nacional

Located on top of a magnificent hill called Montjuïc, the views from the Palau Nacional are unmatched anywhere else in the city, and the museum is surrounded by a handful of other museums, allowing visitors to spend lots of time up on the hill, appreciating a number of cultural experiences.

The Palau Nacional was the flagship of the 1929 Exhibition, drawing lots of attention from the crowds that descended upon the Catalan region for the event. Built in the style typical of palaces that housed European royalty, it was designed by architects Enric Català i Català and Pedro Cendoya Oscoz.

The building recently underwent major renovations at the hands of architects Gae Aulenti and Josep Benedito, though the magnificent Oval Hall was renovated in 1992 and opened in time for the summer Olympics, held in Barcelona that year.

The National Museum of Catalonian Art is, of course, the major center for Catalan art and is also considered to be the most important center for Romanesque Art in the world, though visitors will find exciting pieces from the 19th and 20th centuries and the Gothic Period as well.

This 11th to 13th century art movement is characterized by vibrant colors, elongated forms, and expressiveness. Many of the examples of Romanesque art at this museum were taken from old churches in the Pyrenees and reassembled at the museum as they may have once appeared. Works span the entire Romanesque period, so guests get a look at a variety of styles by a number of well-known artists of that time.

Examples of fine Gothic art include many works by Jaume Huguet, the primary artist in the Catalan Gothic School. Later works on display at the Palau Nacional include pieces by artists like Goya, El Greco, and Peter Paul Rubens.

Guests are also treated to some stunning decorative art from the 19th and 20th centuries, including furniture and chandeliers, many indicative of Barcelona’s favored “modernista” movement, known in other locales as Art Nouveau.