The Departament de Cultura has formalized the acquisition of five art pieces that will become part of the Col·lecció Nacional de la Generalitat. Among them stands out a marble fragment from the monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes, in Port de la Selva, attributed to the Mestre de Cabestany and dated to the 12th century.
A medieval fragment from Sant Pere de Rodes returns to the public collection
The marble block, which was part of the facade of the church of the Empordà monastery, was declared a cultural asset of national interest in 1930. The fragment corresponds to the upper part of the cross that decorated the lower tympanum and partially preserves the titulus of INRI. The piece shows the use of the trepan to dot the strokes of the letters, a characteristic technique of the Mestre de Cabestany. The marble used probably comes from the medieval quarry of la Birba, located in the same Port de la Selva.
The acquisition of the Sant Pere de Rodes fragment has been closed for 180,000 euros. This operation strengthens the Catalan medieval heritage and guarantees the conservation of a singular piece of Romanesque sculpture.
Three Gothic panels and a Renaissance painting complete the operation
In addition to the medieval fragment, the purchase includes three Gothic panels attributed to Pasqual Ortoneda, active between 1423 and 1460, and dated to the first half of the 15th century. The paintings represent Santa Llúcia, Sant Tomàs and Sant Jaume Major. The two male figures were part of the same panel, while the saint corresponded to an independent compartment. Recent restorations have allowed to recover part of the original pictorial layer, especially in the faces.
The acquisition price of the three Gothic panels amounts to 170.000 euros. These works contribute to expanding the representation of Catalan Gothic in the public collection.
The fifth piece is the Renaissance painting 'Coronation of Thorns', attributed to Pere Nunyes and dated around 1545. The work shows Christ seated and surrounded by executioners, with Pontius Pilate observing the scene from an elevated plane. The production of Pere Nunyes is distributed among the MNAC, the Museu Diocesà de Barcelona and various private collections and temples.
The works will be deposited in the MNAC
The five pieces will be deposited in the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC). The Departament de Cultura has indicated that the objective of these acquisitions is to reinforce the presence of medieval and Renaissance art in the Col·lecció Nacional and guarantee the conservation and public access to pieces of historical and artistic relevance.