Girona Museum of Art

Girona Museum of Art (Museu d'Art de Girona) is the city's main art museum, housed in the former Episcopal Palace right beside the cathedral, in the heart of Girona's old town.

Where is the museum located and what does the building look like?

The museum occupies Girona's former Episcopal Palace, one of the most striking historic buildings in the city. The earliest documented reference to this property dates back to 998, when Bishop Gotmar purchased a house adjoining the palace from Count Borrell. Over the centuries the building was expanded and remodelled several times, and today its courtyards, staircases and rooms of varying architectural style form part of the visitor experience in their own right, quite apart from the artworks on display.

How did the museum come about, and what's its history?

The institution in its current form dates from 1976, when Girona's regional council and the local diocese agreed to merge two separate collections: the Diocesan Museum and the Provincial Museum of Antiquities and Fine Arts. The latter has a much older lineage — it was established in 1846 to safeguard works of artistic and archaeological value, and first opened to the public in 1870 inside the Sant Pere de Galligants monastery. Bringing both collections together under one roof created what is now one of Catalonia's most significant regional museums.

What can visitors see in the collection?

The museum holds nearly 14,000 catalogued works, making it one of the largest and richest collections in all of Catalonia. The display is arranged chronologically, moving from Romanesque and Gothic art through the Renaissance and Baroque periods, and on to Realist painting, Art Nouveau, and the Noucentista movement that shaped Catalan culture in the early 20th century. Separate rooms are dedicated to ceramics, glassware and liturgical art, reflecting the religious origins of part of the collection.

The museum holds the third most important collection of Romanesque and Gothic art in Catalonia. Its single most celebrated piece is a portable altar from the monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes, crafted from stone and wood and covered in silver — considered one of the most valuable pieces of sacred art in the region.

Who is this museum for, and how much time should visitors set aside?

Thanks to its chronological layout, the museum works well both for visitors wanting a general introduction to Catalan art and for those with a specific interest in Romanesque or Gothic periods. Its location next to Girona Cathedral makes it easy to combine a visit with exploring the rest of the old town's historic sites. Allowing at least an hour to ninety minutes is a sensible plan, enough to move at a comfortable pace from the earliest sacred works through to the modern-era galleries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly is the Girona Museum of Art located? It is housed in the former Episcopal Palace, in Girona's historic centre, directly next to the cathedral.

How was the museum founded, and since when has it existed in its current form? It was created in 1976 through the merger of the Diocesan Museum and the Provincial Museum of Antiquities and Fine Arts, the latter dating back to 1846.

What is the highlight of the collection? The portable altar from the monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes, made of stone and wood covered in silver — one of the region's key Romanesque treasures.

How large is the museum's collection? It comprises nearly 14,000 catalogued works, spanning painting, sculpture, ceramics, glassware and liturgical art from the Romanesque period through the 20th century.