The Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya occupies the Palau Nacional, a palatial building on Montjuïc hill overlooking Barcelona, and traces Catalan art from the 10th through the 20th century. The museum in its current form was created in 1990 through the merger of the Museu d’Art de Catalunya and the Museu d’Art Modern, and it was formally reopened in its expanded, modern layout in December 2004.
Its centerpiece is the world’s largest collection of Romanesque frescoes, gathered from rural Catalan churches and reassembled inside the museum, including the celebrated apse painting from Sant Climent de Taüll depicting Christ in Majesty. The collection continues through Gothic altarpieces, Renaissance and Baroque works, and a substantial modern art section.
According to the museum, a complete visit takes a minimum of two hours, and art enthusiasts often spend three hours or more exploring the full collection. Winter hours run Tuesday to Saturday, 10 AM to 6 PM, with Sundays and holidays until 3 PM; the museum is closed Mondays.
