Agenda Barcelona

In the former infirmary of the Monastery of Pedralbes, a small display of furniture preserved by the religious community has been on view since 12 January 2021. The collection stands out more for its historical value than for its artistic merit. It comprises pieces of basic, simple, and austere construction, in which usefulness and functionality prevail over any aesthetic consideration. Their origins are diverse: alongside commissioned pieces and dowries, the collection includes donations of heritage objects from Queen Elisenda—the founder of the monastery—and from the noblewomen who accompanied her in her life of enclosure. For this reason, the selection of furniture from the fourteenth to the nineteenth centuries presented here, while prioritising storage furniture suited to the needs of the convent (worship, singing, archiving, infirmary use, clothing, and reading), also bears witness—albeit discreetly—to items more closely associated with the female courtly sphere, which entered the monastery as part of the trousseau and dowries of women from noble families and the well-to-do classes.

Given that very few examples of this type of furniture have survived to the present day, the collection shown in the exhibition offers a unique opportunity to explore the history of the convent through its most everyday objects, endowing them with considerable cultural and heritage value.

Within the former infirmary, time seems to stand still as one observes the basic construction and lack of decoration of the community’s storage furniture. Their design is governed by function, expressed through simplicity and austerity—qualities that evoke the vow of poverty. They return us to what is essential, demonstrating the value of eliminating the superfluous. Construction was usually the responsibility of the convent’s carpenter, while wrought iron elements were supplied by the blacksmith and, given their cost, were often reused.

Over the centuries, three main types of storage furniture were devised to meet different needs: chests, ideal for transport as their contents rest on the base; cupboards, suitable for storing objects that need to remain visible in fixed locations; and chests of drawers, which protect their contents in enclosed compartments. Based on these three structures and their variations, the exhibition is organised according to where the furniture was used or its function. The display is arranged into seven thematic sections: Praying in the palace of Elisenda de Montcada; Healing the soul through song in the choir; The chest, from universal container to dowry; Multifunctionality in the past; Cupboards for managing the convent; Cupboards: time stands still in enclosure; and Walls as cupboard structures.

In addition to the furniture, the exhibition route also includes other elements such as paintings, scagliola works, a ceramic panel, and various ceramic pieces. These objects help contextualise the narrative while enriching the display chromatically, bringing visitors closer to the everyday life of the Poor Clare community.