A new look at Saint Michael chapel at the Monestir de Pedralbes

“Murals divins” (Divine Murals) is a temporary show which opened the doors of the chapterhouse of the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Pedralbes, dovetailing with the reopening of Saint Michael chapel after its restoration. The exhibition provides the keys to seeing the paintings decorating the space with fresh eyes, and it does so by sharing the information collected throughout their restoration and conservation. In the words of the organiser, “The exhibition sheds light on the artistic and religious significance of the chapel and enables us to imagine the impact it must have had on the people who saw it almost 700 years ago”. Guided tours through the exhibition are few and far between, so if you want to learn about this show accompanied by an expert guide, book the next tour now: it will be on 8 December. Capacity is limited and you can reserve your place by telephone (932 563 427) or email (reservesmonestirpedralbes@bcn.cat).

Saint Michael chapel is one of the monastery’s gems. It dates from the fourteenth century (the contracts were signed between 1343 and 1346) and it was commissioned to the studio of Ferrer Bassa. The abbess Francesca ça Portella was the driving force behind it, with the aim of turning it into her private cell. The work done recently has restored the original paintings, which had been hidden beneath more recent layers, and it also cleaned and eliminated different harmful products which had been applied to the surface in the past. It is an extraordinarily colourful space filled with light and emotion, with brilliant iconography inspired by Marian devotion representing the passion of Christ, the joys of the Virgin Mary and a variety of figures and saints.

You can find more information at this link.