Museu Palau Mercader

About the museum

The Palau Mercader was commissioned between 1865 and 1867 by Joaquim de Mercader i Belloch as a country residence. In 1899, because of financial problems, the family had to sell its house on the Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona and moved its official residence to Cornellà. The palace was then remodelled to house Neo-Arab furniture and the collections of the Museu d'Antiguitats and the Gabinet d'Història Natural.

The museum occupies the noble floor, the family's former living space, and shows the decline of a Catalan aristocratic family and the tastes of well-to-do society of the period, from 1864 to 1953. More than 3,000 objects are displayed from a collection of over 30,000, which includes the library and collections of natural history, painting, ceramics, weapons and ironwork.

The palace stands in Can Mercader park, a ten-hectare park and the main green space in Cornellà, where the Torre de la Miranda, a neo-Mudéjar tower of 1900 designed by Jaume Gustà i Bondia, is also located. On the upper floor of the palace there is also a space of the Museu de Matemàtiques de Catalunya (MMACA) of more than 300 m², with interactive games and constructions.

Highlights

• Noble floor with furniture and collections of the Mercader family
• More than 3,000 objects on display from a collection of over 30,000
• Collections of natural history, painting, ceramics, weapons and ironwork
• Can Mercader park of ten hectares with the Torre de la Miranda
• Interactive MMACA space on the upper floor

Permanent exhibition

• Exposición permanente: planta noble – Tour of the rooms of the former family residence, with more than 3,000 objects, the library and collections of natural history, painting, ceramics, weapons and ironwork.

Founded

1995

Operated by

Ajuntament de Cornellà de Llobregat

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission to the museum and taking part in the scheduled activities are free. Arranged group visits have a rate set by the municipal fiscal ordinances; the Baix Llobregat tourism portal cites €79.05 per group of up to 20–25 people and €39.45 with a discount for schools, Cornellà organisations, special education and pensioners.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description

Almost all spaces are accessible; two historic rooms, the bathroom and the dressing room are excluded. There is an alternative wheelchair entrance and a portable ramp for the step in the entrance hall, both on request, and a lift to the noble floor, also on request. Services: “La mirada tàctil”, a video guide in Catalan Sign Language with subtitles; twelve braille books and ONCE tactile images for the rooms on the noble floor; an audio-described tour of the noble floor; and a Catalan Sign Language interpreter by advance booking. Accessible toilet and baby-changing table on the ground floor.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities

The Cultural Heritage department organises family activities (workshops, itineraries, small-format concerts and dramatised visits), normally by prior registration. For schools there are offers from early years to bachillerato, and for youth groups (casals and esplais) the activities “Els enigmes del palau” (ages 6–12) and “Qui para la taula?” (ages 3–6). The MMACA space on the upper floor offers mathematical games and constructions.

Getting there & parking

By car, via the Ronda de Dalt, exit 15.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Weddings / ceremonies

The courtyard is hired for civil wedding ceremonies, and the museum for photo shoots for commercial purposes; the rates are set by the municipal fiscal ordinances.

Plan your visit