Seven centuries of Pedralbes, the monastery that still breathes history

When, on March 26, 1326, Queen Elisenda de Montcada laid the first stone of the Royal Monastery of Santa María de Pedralbes, she could hardly imagine that, seven hundred years later, the building would still be standing, but without the religious community that had inhabited it for generations. This year, Barcelona will commemorate the seventh centenary of this emblematic monument with a broad program of activities for citizens, while its future is redefined after the departure of the last nuns who inhabited it.

Within the walls of Pedralbes, the medieval past seems to have been frozen in time. This monastery, often off the tourist routes, still preserves its Gothic essence and its 700 years of history. A history that officially begins on February 1, 1325, when Pope John XXII granted the bull authorizing its construction. Shortly after, on March 26, 1326, the monarchs of the Catalan-Aragonese Crown laid the first stone of the apse of the church.

The initiative had come from Queen Elisenda, who, with the support of her husband, King Jaume II, wanted to build a monastery dedicated to Santa María on lands in the old district of Sarrià. The queen conceived it as the place to retire to when she became a widow. On May 3, 1327, the church was consecrated in a solemn act. That same day, the first community entered: fourteen nuns and fifteen novices from the convent of Sant Antoni in Barcelona, under the direction of Abbess Sister Sobirana Olzet.

The monastery was already habitable, although the rest of the dependencies would continue to be built over the years. Since its origins, it has been inhabited by the Poor Clare nuns, the female branch of the Franciscan Order. However, at the beginning of last year, the last three nuns who inhabited the monastery moved to Vilobí d'Onyar, in Girona, where more sisters of their order live.

Year 2026: seven centuries of historical legacy

Seven hundred years after the arrival of that first religious community, and now without the nuns who inhabited it, the commemoration of its seventh centenary is articulated around three main axes: medieval heritage, women, and spirituality. In this celebration, the 14th-century Gothic murals of the Sant Miquel chapel will have special relevance, one of the jewels of Catalan medieval painting. These paintings will be the protagonists of the immersive exhibition Touch the soul. The murals of the Sant Miquel chapel.

Its founder, Elisenda de Montcada, will also be one of the protagonists of the commemoration, as one of the objectives of this anniversary is to disseminate her figure, as well as the Gothic heritage that remains intact in Pedralbes. With this purpose, this year will be presented a pioneering project to study the original tombs, to analyze through DNA the relationships of Queen Elisenda de Montcada with the women buried next to her.Additionally, a digital restitution with augmented reality of the monarch's tomb will be shown. The commemoration of the anniversary will extend from theMarch 26, 2026—which will include an interpretation of the Goigs de la Mare de Déu in the cloister by the Female Choir of the Palau de la Música Catalana—, coinciding with the 700th anniversary of the laying of the first stone of the monastery,until May 3, 2027,day on which the seventh centenary of the consecration of the temple and the entry of the first community is celebrated. A series of concerts with a medieval theme will also be one of the main axes of the commemoration, which will include the itinerant artistic experienceThe voice of water. A murmur full of life. Paralelamente, la Generalitat ha iniciado los trámites para declare the documentary collection of the monastery —more than 9,000 units— as a cultural asset of national interestand plans to facilitate its open digital access during the first half of the commemorative year.

The commemoration comes after the definitive departure of the last Poor Clare nuns, who had inhabited the monastery for seven centuries. Without a stable religious community, the enclosure faces a new stage. On the table are proposals such as the creation of a center for monastic studies, a space dedicated to peace and spirituality, or a center for classical culture, with the explicit commitment not to betray its essence.