Manresa Museum

A brief history of the museum

In 1896, the “Museo arqueológico, biblioteca pública y artístico industrial permanente” was inaugurated in several rooms of the Town Hall, marking the origin of the current Museum. In 1941, after the Civil War, it reopened as a Municipal Museum in its present location, in the former College of Saint Ignatius. Its collections were enriched with materials from local hiking and cultural associations, as well as other works of art—especially religious pieces—recovered in the context of the destruction caused by the Civil War of 1936–39. In 1977, the permanent exhibition was renewed and the institution was renamed the Manresa Regional Museum. This evolution has culminated in recent years in an ambitious modernization process that has made it possible to rehabilitate the entire building and open the new Museum of Baroque Art of Catalonia within the same complex, consolidating the institution as a leading cultural landmark.

The collection of the Museum of Manresa

The Museum of Manresa is a multidisciplinary museum that focuses particularly on the art and history of Manresa, the Bages region, and Catalonia. Its collections preserve evidence of the most significant stages in the development of the territory, from prehistory and the medieval period to the modern and contemporary eras. Particularly noteworthy is the exceptional collection of Baroque sculpture, which can be seen at the Museum of Baroque Art of Catalonia.

What does the Museum of Manresa offer?

At present, the permanent exhibition galleries of the Museum of Manresa are undergoing renovation, but the museum continues its work through temporary exhibitions, public programs, and educational services aimed at promoting the city’s heritage and history. Visitors can also explore the Petit Museu, which brings together some of the most representative pieces from the Museum of Manresa’s collection.