The Morera Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Lleida has been declared a Museum of National Interest by the Catalan government, according to an official agreement. Lleida Mayor Fèlix Larrosa said on 21 April 2026 that this recognition strengthens the city's pride and its central role in Catalonia's cultural development.
Larrosa made the institutional statement alongside Councillor Pilar Bosch and Museum Director Jesús Navarro. He thanked Navarro, the staff, artists, curators, institutions, previous mayors, and painter Jaume Morera i Galícia, who founded the museum, for their work on this "collective cultural project" over its century-long history.
This distinction, which followed a formal request from Lleida City Council on 2 February 2026, recognises the museum's history, the quality of its collections, and its significant contribution to Catalonia's museum system. Larrosa said the recognition "boosts cultural tourism and, above all, strengthens city pride and the conviction that Lleida has and will have a central role in Catalonia's cultural construction."
A Century of Art and Growth
The mayor highlighted the museum's collection of over 6,000 works, which he described as essential for understanding 20th and 21st-century art in Catalonia. He added that the museum is "a living space that dialogues with the present and with the social challenges of our time, with programming that consolidates it as a platform for contemporary creation, a space for critical thought, and a first-rate educational resource."
Larrosa also noted that the recognition "consolidates us and encourages us to continue working and to project ourselves further," opening new opportunities for national and international collaboration. He explained that the Morera being of national interest shows "who we are as a city and where we want to go: a Lleida that champions culture, heritage, and talent as drivers of urban, social, and economic transformation."
The museum's origins date back to 1917 with the creation of the Lleida Art Museum, initiated by painter Jaume Morera i Galícia. It started with a collection of his own works and those from his circle. Throughout the 20th century, the institution faced challenges, including interruptions during the Civil War and periods without a stable home.
New Home, Increased Visitors
Despite these difficulties, the museum maintained constant activity in preserving and promoting art. A period of institutional consolidation began in the 1990s with the creation of the Municipal Board and the 1996 Museum Plan. A key moment arrived in April 2024 with the opening of its new home in the former Palace of Justice, following a renovation to transform it into a modern, accessible space adapted to current museum needs.
In the two years since moving to its permanent home, the museum has welcomed over 50,000 visitors and recorded nearly 80,000 uses. Larrosa said the new location has marked "a qualitative and decisive leap towards the future," boosting exhibition activity and making the museum "more open, accessible, and connected with new audiences and the country's major museum networks."
Navarro stated that the museum holds "one of Catalonia's most important public collections of modern and contemporary art." He added that the recognition of the team's professional work encourages them to continue working with rigour, excellence, and in an open, creative manner, serving the public. Councillor Anna Costa, Councillor Anna Maria Florista, and Arts Foundation Director Xavi Miranda also attended the event.
A Leading Collection
The Morera Museum's collection is considered one of Catalonia's most significant public collections of modern and contemporary art. Its strengths include realist landscape painting linked to Jaume Morera, the Lleida avant-garde of the 1930s with figures like Leandre Cristòfol, Antoni G. Lamolla, Josep Viola, and Enric Crous. It also highlights the connections between art, photography, and graphic arts within the second avant-garde movements.
The museum also features a notable collection of contemporary art, enhanced by deposits from the National Collection of the Generalitat and the collection of the Association of Visual Artists of Catalonia Foundation. The collection's continuous growth through acquisitions and donations helps keep it current and aligned with the evolution of contemporary art.
