Picasso Museum Barcelona: Location, Tickets & Visiting Guide

Pablo Ruiz Picasso is certainly one of the most important and influential artists of the XX Century.

The Picasso Museum in Barcelona is mainly devoted to his early works, the formative period of Picasso, the years when he was living in the city. He left the city when he was 23, but his ties with Barcelona were never broken.

The museum was open in 1963 following Picasso’s wills, becoming very soon one of the best art centers in the city.

The location of this art center is particularly important as well as it is located in five gothic palaces of la Ribera neighborhood. Because of the architectural environment and its pictorial content, it is one of the most interesting museums in the city.

The Picasso Museum of Barcelona is a crucial guide for the understanding of the formative years of Pablo Picasso. The creativity of the young artist is shown by the 4,251 pieces that make up the permanent collection. In addition, the Picasso Museum, also shows its deep connection with Barcelona: an intimate, strong relationship that influenced his adolescence and his youth until his death.

Discover the Barcelona card: that will give you access to the Picasso Museum and more than 25 of the best museums and attractions of Barcelona.

Location & how to get there

The Picasso Museum is located at Carrer de Montcada 15-23, 08003, in the heart of the El Born (La Ribera) neighbourhood, right in Barcelona’s medieval old town. The museum spreads across five adjoining Gothic palaces on this narrow, atmospheric medieval street just steps from the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar.

The nearest metro stop is Jaume I (line L4, yellow), a five-minute walk away: exit onto Via Laietana, head into the old town along Carrer de la Princesa, and turn right onto Carrer de Montcada. You can also reach it from Arc de Triomf (L1, red) or Liceu (L3, green) in about 10-12 minutes on foot. If you are coming from the Gothic Quarter or the beach at Barceloneta, the museum is an easy stroll through El Born.

Address & nearest metro

• Address: Carrer de Montcada 15-23, 08003 Barcelona (El Born / La Ribera)
• Nearest metro: Jaume I (L4), approx. 5 min on foot
• Also nearby: Arc de Triomf (L1), Liceu (L3)
• Buses: V17, 45, 120, and others stopping around Via Laietana and Passeig de Picasso

Do you like art and museums? The you will love the Articket, a single ticket for 6 major museums in Barcelona (Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona - MACBA, Mirò Museum, Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, Museu Picasso and Fundació Antoni Tàpies). Book your Articket online!

History

Barcelona’s Picasso Museum represents the artist’s emotional connections to the city. Created by Picasso’s express wish, the realization of the museum was possible thanks to several people close to the artist: Jaume Sabartés, Picasso’s most close friend, but also Jacqueline, his wife, the Barcelona society, and the Barcelona City Council.

Picasso and his family moved to Barcelona in 1895, when he was fourteen years old, and lived there for nine years until 1904. This years has a huge impact in Picasso’s personally and marked the first steps in his creative growth.

The artist led his life in one of the oldest quarters of the city, in the neighborhood of La Ribera that now hosts the museum. During those years, Picasso formed a group of artists and friends to whom he would remain forever close and strengthen his relations with the city.

In 1899, Picasso met his great friend Sabartés and the two immediately forged a special relationship based on complicity and mutual admiration. Their friendship lasted the rest of their lives, as they were part of the same circle of artists and friends, both in Barcelona and in Paris.

Thanks to this first-hand knowledge, Sabartés became Picasso’s personal biographer and wrote several biographies of the artist.

The Museu Picasso, was opened in 1963 under the name of the Sabartés Collection.