A place of tranquility, an absolutely gorgeous courtyard and an amazing art collection. The monastery is a hidden jewel of Barcelona, but it takes only takes about half an hour (from the city center) to get there.
When she was just a little over 30 years old, the Queen Elisenda de Montcada (wife of King James II of Aragon). withdrew from the world, becoming a widow. And she did it in the Monastery of Pedralbes, which she had founded in 1326 in the mountains of Sant Pere Màrtir (Barcelona). She lived there 37 years, with only the claretian nuns (called the Poor Clares).
Known in Catalan as Reial Monestir de Santa Maria de Pedralbes, the monastery was built in 13 months and is well known for its great architectural in the Gothic style. The white stones (petras albas), used to build the complex, gave their name to the monastery: Pedralbes.
The monastery hides some jewels: the small chapel of Sant Miquel - which is noted for the fresco and oil paintings (14th century), an exceptional testimony of the Catalan Gothic painting, the Gothic stained-glass windows of the interior of the church (considered the most important in Catalonia, for their antiquity and for their good state of preservation), the cloister - one of the largest and most impressive in the world and the tomb of Queen Elisenda. Located between the Church and the cloister, the tomb is bi-frontal, representing her two sides: from the Church side, she is seen dressed and crowned as a Queen and, from the cloister side, she appears as a widow and nun.
The monastery also houses an interesting museum. There is the art collection which has been donated to the Monastery over the centuries by the wealthy families of nuns. There are also a couple of notable modern works, one of which is said to be the only example of Modernist religious art.
For the schedule and additional details, please visit ’s web page.
TIP: You can acquire a Go Barcelona Pass – an electronic ticket on your mobile phone - that combines the city’s best points of interests. The card includes an audio guide for every attraction, a ticket for the official Barcelona city Hop-on Hop-Off tourist bus, a cruise and entrance for over 30 objectives. You can buy the pass here.
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