The resurgence of monumental art in the western Mediterranean during the twelfth century took place with one eye on Ancient Rome. Roman sarcophagi and honorary arches served as inspiration for the artists of the Romanesque Art, from the so-called Master of Cabestany to the sculptors of the church doorway in Ripoll. All of this was set against a backdrop of political affirmation and territorial expansion under Ramon Berenguer IV (1131-1162), which brought the Catalan counties into contact with southern Europe's two great creative centres: Toulouse and Pisa.

The rigorous choice of works, many of them from France, Italy, Great Britain and the United States, makes for a very comprehensive approach to this moment in art when the situation as regards monuments in these regions was being transformed. Although the range of techniques of the Romanesque Art, from carving to painting on wood, are all represented, stone sculpture takes centre stage, giving the visitor a complement to the museum's permanent collection of mural painting.

Past and future come together in this exhibition thanks to the virtual reconstruction of the church doorway in Ripoll, a pioneering project led by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and offering a unique view of one of the most emblematic works from this period.

Having just celebrated the one-hundredth anniversary of the discovery of the Romanesque Art in Catalonia, the Museu Nacional is pulling off a landmark event with this ambitious exhibition, which brings together under one roof the great masterpieces of this period, most of which have never been seen before in our country.

Exhibition catalogue

Exhibition organized by the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya in co-production with the Sociedad Estatal de Conmemoraciones Culturales and the Departament de Cultura i Mitjans de Comunicació de la Generalitat de Catalunya. With the collaboration of Ministero ai Beni e Attività Culturali. Direzione Generale per l'Innovazione Tecnologica e la Promozione (Roma). Centre du Recherche sur les Pays de la Méditerranée au Moyen Âge, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3. Museu Episcopal de Vic.