Arcadia Spain

The monastery of Pedralbes Open Doors for free afternoons on Tuesdays and Fridays from now until September 13th.

There's no excuse: between 6 and 9 pm you can walk around the monastery with a beautiful summer sunset!

The Royal Monastery of St Mary of Pedralbes, founded by Queen Elisenda de Montcada in 1327, stands as a unique historical and cultural testament to the Poor Clare community who lived there continuously from 1327 until just recently. The building is one of the best examples of Catalan Gothic architecture, one of the largest in this style!

The foundation of the monastery

Founded by the Queen in 1327 with the support of her husband, King James II, who wanted to dedicate the church to the Virgin Mary. With the foundation of the monastery, Elisenda hoped to redeem her sins and those of her family. The Pedralbes estate, in the old district of Sarrià, was chosen for the construction.

The monastery opens to the public

In 1949 part of the monastery was opened to the public and in 1975 a new convent was built on the site of the former main allotment so that the greater part of the buildings could be converted into the Monastery of Pedralbes Museum, opened in 1983. At the end of the 20th century this became part of the History Museum of the City of Barcelona. In 1993 the dormitory and the Queen’s Room became home to a small part of the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection, which was transferred to the National Art Museum of Catalonia in 2004.

You can visit the different rooms that are grouped around the three-storey Gothic cloister. Like St Michael’s Chapel, the dormitory, refectory, kitchen, infirmary, storerooms, abbey room and chapter house, plus various day cells.

Exhibitions

You can currently see the following exhibitions

*Reopening of the chapel of Sant Miquel: Divine Murals Exhibition: its magnificent Gothic paintings completely restored. The visitor who approaches the monastery will be able to enjoy this 14th century pictorial jewel.

*Monastery of Pedralbes. The Monastery Treasures: presents a unique collection of works of art, furniture, and secular and liturgical objects from the monastery treasure, built up, conserved and restored  

*Plants, remedies and apothecaries; the medieval garden: explores a science that developed out of the basic principles of Greek and Roman medicine and the contributions of Arab-Islamic culture, using nature as the basis of its action.

*Petras Albas. The Monastery of Pedralbes and the Montcada Family: explains the lineage of the Montcada family and its close ties with the monastery and daily life of the community.