The 20th century: the monastery opens to the public

In the early 20th century, still under the patronage of Sister Eulària Anzizu, further restoration work and improvements were carried out in the monastery. Thanks to her dowry and parallel to the restoration of the church, the dormitory was divided up with the construction of a series of cells on either side of the large hall giving on to a central corridor. In 1902, Sister Eulària created the first “Little Museum” at the monastery, in the Skylight Room on the first floor of the cloister, which contained an assortment of pieces from the monastery treasure in keeping with the museographic trends of the time. In 1931, the Government of the Second Republic declared the monastery a national historical and artistic monument, along with other historical heritage in Barcelona. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), the monastery was confiscated by the Government of Catalonia, which took over its management, and the precinct would be used for different purposes depending on the vicissitudes of the moment. As a result, it was used to store works of art, mainly by the Spanish Government; the Catalan Government wanted to make it into the Museum of Gothic Art of Catalonia; and later, in 1938, it became the headquarters of the General Archives of Catalonia. After the Civil War and with the return of the religious community from exile in 1946, the chapter house was set aside to accommodate that first collection of works of artistic value and interest gathered together by Sister Eulària Anzizu.