MNAC rebels against court ruling on Sijena artworks transfer

The institution files a nullity incident to demand a technical report ensuring the integrity of the murals.

Interior view of a museum hall with mural paintings on display.
IA

Interior view of a museum hall with mural paintings on display.

The National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC) has filed a nullity incident in court to block the transfer of the Sijena mural paintings without a prior technical report.

The cultural institution has decided to take action against the court order mandating the transfer of the works to the Monegros monastery. The MNAC challenges the court's refusal to accept an expert report from the Spanish Cultural Heritage Institute, which is considered the state body with the necessary technical capacity to assess the risks of dismantling the paintings.
In the filed document, the museum's legal services argue that the court's decision violates the right to effective judicial protection and the right to defense, as guaranteed by the Constitution. According to the MNAC, the expert evidence is essential to determine how the sentence should be fulfilled while ensuring the preservation of heritage and following the guidelines of the National Preventive Conservation Plan.
The museum criticizes the judge for dismissing the report based on an alleged lack of independence of the ministry's technicians. For the institution's management, this refusal deprives the court of an irreplaceable technical opinion needed to execute the transfer of the pieces currently located in room 16 of the Barcelona-based center.