During 19th Century, the monastery was destroyed and removed, and it lost all its historical heritage. Everything that it’s nowadays at the Museum of Montserrat has come from new acquisitions and private donations in a recovery environment and significant presence in the Catalan society with European and global irradiation.
History of the Museum
1911
Inaugurated the Biblical Museum of Montserrat, which contained archeological, ethnological, zoological and botanical materials that P. Bonaventura Ubach (1879-1960) acquired at Holy Land, Egypt, Syria and Iraq in order to illustrate The Bible.
1963
The Museum of Montserrat itself is born with the Near East archeological materials and the Renaissance and Baroque paintings which were inside the monastery.
1982
The Museum of Montserrat got enlarged with a very important 19th and 20th Century painting collection, donation of Mr. Josep Sala Ardiz, which was increased with other donations like the architect Xavier Busquets did.
2004
Because of the improvement works at the sanctuary squares, the Museum gained more space for temporary exhibitions rooms, a booking deposit and a new entrance.
2006
The Catalan Parliament declared the Museum of Montserrat MUSEUM OF NATIONAL INTEREST.
2017
The Museum is considered one of the national referent museums and is also one of the most visited in Catalonia. Nowadays it goes on increasing its collections with constant donations from particular people and private entities.
2023
The Museum is expanded with the new room "Montserrat s. XIV", where there are the remains of Montserrat's oldest buildings preserved in situ.