Montjuïc Castle
Montjuïc Castle is an old military fortress built in 1640 on top of the Montjuïc mountain. The Interpretation and Memory Centre at the Castle houses a permanent exhibition with a journey through history, including the role of the castle as strategic defence during the wars of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. With the defeat of the Catalans in 1714, the fortress was used to control the population and from the nineteenth century, it was used as a military prison. The Castle was the place where the President of the Catalan Government, Lluís Companys, was executed by the Franco dictatorship in 1940.
The Montjuïc Castle Interpretation Centre (CIM) has four themed presentations.
In the first room the history and archaeology of the mountain in relation to Barcelona are explained. Montjuïc has been inhabited since prehistoric times and its quarries were used to build many of the city's most important buildings.
The second room focuses on the architectural evolution of the Castle, ranging from the medieval beacon built as a defensive lookout point to the beginning of the militarisation of the mountain with the construction of the fort.
The third section explores two aspects of the use of the Castle: as a strategic point guarding and defending Barcelona, especially during the wars of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; and as a place of repression, particularly after 1714, when the fortress was used to control the population.
In the fourth room, the exhibition focuses on the imprisonments, trials and executions witnessed by the castle from the late nineteenth century until well into the twentieth century when it was used as a military prison during Franco’s dictatorship.
Opening Times
Montjuïc Castle is open every day of the year except 1 January and 25 December. The site is open to the public from 10am to 6pm or 8pm depending on the season.
From 1 November to 31 March: open Monday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm. Including public holidays. Closed 25 December and 1 January.
From 1 April to 31 October: open Monday to Sunday from 10am to 8pm. Including public holidays.
The exhibitions and educational activities end half an hour before closing time.