Museum at Montserrat

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Museum in Montserrat

This page will provide information on the history of Montserrat Museum. Plus details on what to expect from the museum collections, how to find it, opening times and ticket prices.

Book tickets for your half day tour to Montserrat from Barcelona with return journey

There are two organized tours that save you the time and trouble of organizing your own trip to Montserrat. They include return journey from Barcelona to Montserrat in an air conditioned bus. You can choose either a half day morning tour or half day afternoon tour.

Morning Tour

Click here to book your tickets online for the Montserrat Morning guided tour leaving from Barcelona

The history of Montserrat Museum

Most of the works of art that are housed in the Montserrat Museum have been donated to the monastery by private citizens. The Monks at the Monastery see it as their duty to display the artworks for those visiting Montserrat as a promotion of culture. This ideology originates from a previous monk at Montserrat called Father Bonaventura Ubach. He collected archaeological, ethnological and zoological artefacts during travels to the Middle East and brought them back to the Monastery. By bringing back these artefacts he encouraged an interest in the Middle East and in 1926 the Monks at Montserrat translated the Bible into Catalan from the Middle Eastern languages.

Entrance to the Museum in Montserrat

The entrance to the museum was designed by the architect Josep Puig I Cadafech in 1929. The two main areas at the heart of the museum were remodelled in 1980 - 1982 under the direction of Father Pere Busquets. The collections have all been housed together in one building since 1996.

What can I expect at the Museum?

There are six permanent collections at Montserrat Museum:

1. Archaeology of the Biblical Middle East: objects from cultures including Mesopotamia, Egypt, Cyprus and the Holy Land.
2. Paintings from the Thirteenth to the Eighteenth Century: this includes works by Caravaggio, Tiepolo, Berruguete, Morales, Luca Giordano and El Greco. Most of them were acquired in Italy between 1914 and 1920.
3. Catalan Painting and Sculpture from Nineteenth and Twentieth century: this includes works from the likes of Picasso, Dalí, Degas, Miró, Monet, Rusiñol and Casas.
4. Iconography of Our Lady of Montserrat: this exhibition takes a look at the differing ways in which the Black Madonna of Montserrat has been depicted over the years. It includes painting, sculptures, drawings, engravings and medallions. It also includes a sculpture by Josep M Subirachs.
5. Phos Hilaron Byzantine and Slavic Icons: these are the depictions of icons as represented on an oriental church.
6. Goldsmithery Liturgical Objects from Fifteenth to Twentieth Century: showing a collection of gold and silver work and demonstrating how styles can change over the years.

There is also always two temporary exhibitions at the Montserrat Museum. These change on average every five months.

Location of Montserrat Museum

Montserrat Museum is located under St Mary's Square. The entrance is between the steps leading to the main square and the St Mary's Square.

For details of the location of the Montserrat Museum, check our Map of Montserrat page.

Opening times

Ticket prices

It is important to remember that you are not allowed to use cameras or video cameras inside the museum. There is a security guard at the door of the museum who will ask you to put your camera away if you have it on display. You are also not allowed to take food into the museum.

Ticket Prices For Entrance to all of the exhibits:
Adults: €8.00
Students, pensioners and groups (more than 20 people): €6.50

Entrance to just the temporary exhibits: €3.50

If you are travelling to Montserrat on the rack railway there are some combination tickets (tickets that cover travel and other attractions at the Monastery) that include the price of entrance to the museum. For details on prices and options for tickets, see our Rack Railway to Montserrat page.

Museum Audio Guide

It is possible to hire an audio guide whilst you are walking around the museum. This will allow you to walk around the museum with a commentary explaining the most important works within the museum.

The guide is available in the following languages: Castellano, French, Catalan, English and German.

Price of the Audio Guide: €2.20

Disabled access to the museum

The museum is at the bottom of a large set of stairs, however there is a lift that can take you to the museum floor. Once you are in the museum you will have complete access to all of the exhibits if you are a limited mobility visitor. For details of limited mobility accessibility at Montserrat, you can check our Disabled Access at Montserrat page.

Museum Shop

There is a shop located in the museum selling souvenirs, books and postcards. It has the same opening hours as the museum (see above). For details of the shops at Montserrat, see our Guide to Shops at Montserrat page.

Montserrat Museum contact details:

Tel:  +34 93 877 7777
E-mail: [email protected]

Espai Audio Visual

There is another museum at Montserrat called the 'Espai Audio Visual'. For details on the opening times, ticket prices and what to expect from the Espai Audio Visual, see our Espai Audio Visual at Montserrat page.

The Montserrat Museum is a veritable treasure trove of works of art throughout history. It is worth scheduling in an extra hour or so into your Montserrat trip to take some time to have a wander around the museum. If you are short of time, it may be worth considering taking a look at the different exhibitions in the Museum (see above) and choosing the ones that will be of most interest to you.