The "Palau Nacional" (National Palace), built for the World Exhibition in 1929, has since 1934 been the home to the National Art Museum of Catalunya. It is located at the Montjuïc mountain, from where you can enjoy exceptional views of the city of Barcelona. The renovation works of both the interior and the facade of the building started in 1990 and finally ended in 2004, when the museum was officially inaugurated.
The MNAC offers a wide collection that includes sculpture, painting, drawing, engraving, posters, photography and coinage. Its main goal is to create a global understanding of Catalan art, from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Throughout the years, it has been absorbing the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection that used to be stored at Pedralbes convent, the modernist works of the former Museum of Modern Art at the Ciudadela Park and the famous Cambo legacy.
The most important collection in the museum is the one on Romanesque art, and is considered to be one of the most important collections in the world. It gathers Catalan works mostly from the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries. One of the highlights of this period is a series of frescos extracted from different churches located in the Pyrenees, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The museum also offers a magnificent gothic collection from the period between the 13th and the late 15th century, with works of the great artists Bernat Martorell and Jaume Huguet; besides, it shows the evolution of the European Renaissance and Baroque art between the 16th and 18th centuries, where you will find masterpieces by El Greco, Zurbaran, Rubens and Cranach.
Modern art is well represented too, with a separate space dedicated to works from the Neoclassicism, “Modernisme”, "Noucentisme", the Generation of 1927 and the Avant-garde.
The numismatics cabinet brings together Spains largest public collection of coins, medals and banknotes. It explains the history of money, from the first Greek issues from the colonies in Ampurias and Rosas, to the Euro.
The MNAC also organises magnificent temporary exhibitions. The facilities can be visited from Tuesday to Saturday, from 10h to 19h and on Sundays, from 10h to 14h30. The excellent restaurant Oleum with beautiful views over the city is open from Tuesday to Sunday.

MNAC
Parque de Montjuïc s/n
www.mnac.cat