Barcelona is busy – everybody knows that – but in the hopes of redistributing some of the city’s tourist traffic, there are huge plans to revitalise one of its least likely spots into a sparkling new attraction.
Montjuïc is a wide hill area near Barcelona’s coast with a spooky and slightly bizarre history. It was once the setting for brutal battles (such as the harsh suppression of an insurrection by Baldomero Espartero in 1842) and political executions (Catalan leader Lluís Companys was killed here on the orders of Francisco Franco). Perhaps unsurprisingly, it became known as the ‘Cursed Mountain’.
But reputations change, guys, and with the hopes of steering visitors away from over-saturated tourist sites such as Las Ramblas and the Sagrada Família, Montjuïc is getting a makeover.
A new urban plan has been announced, which includes revitalising the onsite National Art Museum of Catalonia and merging it with Victoria Eugenia Palace. Architects have submitted proposals for the site and an international jury will be awarding the winning architects in March.
‘Very little has changed here since the 1950s. But the centenary of 1929, [Montjuïc’s] most illustrious moment, serves as an excuse for the city to face up to the challenge of integrating Montjuïc the park,’ says Pepe Serra, the art museum’s director. ‘Because it’s more than a mountain, it is the city’s park. It could be Barcelona’s Central Park.’
According to the Times the museum’s cellars contain thousands of unseen artworks, many of which will help fill gaps in Catalan culture once they’re on display in the new space. ‘There are at least two generations of artists who are not represented here since the war,’ says Serra.
The aim is to have all the works completed by 2029, the 100-year anniversary of the International Exhibition. Stay tuned!
Can’t wait till then? Check out our guides to the best museums and the best art galleries in Barcelona.
Did you see that a major new modern art museum just opened in this European city?
Plus: The Amsterdam-London Eurostar is finally back – with 200 more seats.
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