Monasterio de Pedralbes Barcelona

Visit the Pedralbes Monastery in Barcelona Spain

Reial Monestir de Santa Maria de Pedralbes in Barcelona: all the info and tickets to visit the Pedralbes monastery in Barcelona.

The monastery of Pedralbes ('Reial Monestir de Santa Maria de Pedralbes') is a Gothic monastery in Barcelona. Today it is a museum that is accessible to the public. The museum offers insight into monastic life during the middle ages. The monastery is located on the north-west edge of the city (near Finca Güell) and does not get many tourists. If you're in Barcelona for an extended stay, it's certainly worth to visit this surprising attraction and sea of tranquillity.

History of Monasterio de Pedralbes

In 1327, the very pious Elisenda de Montcada (the fourth and final wife of James II) commissioned the construction of a monastery for a female Franciscan order, the Clarisses. The name 'Pedralbes' comes from Latin and refers to 'petras albas', white stones. For centuries the Pedralbes monastery was closed to outsiders, but in 1972 Barcelona's municipal government and the nuns agreed to hand the monastery over to the city, so it could be used as a museum. In return, the city would build a new monastery for the nuns. The old monastery finally opened its doors in 1983, after many years of restoration work. You can visit the monastery's many areas, such as the herb garden, the kitchen, the old dormitories with an exhibition/museum about the monastery relics and various chapels. Together with the adjacent monastic church, this is one of the hidden gems to visit on your Barcelona city break.

Where is the monastery in Barcelona?

Near the Pedralbes monastery are:

Camp Nou (1 km)

CosmoCaixa (2 km)

Tibidabo (2 km)