Recognition for Cultural Patronage
On Wednesday 16 September 2026, hotelier and collector Jordi Clos Llombart was formally appointed an honorary academician of the Royal Catalan Academy of Fine Arts of Sant Jordi (RACBA), in recognition of his lifelong dedication to promoting ancient Egyptian culture in Catalonia. The ceremony took place at Casa Llotja de Mar in Barcelona, where Clos received his diploma and accreditation medal. The academy praised his unique career combining business with cultural philanthropy, particularly through the creation of the Egyptian Museum of Barcelona.
A Lifelong Passion for Egypt
Clos’s journey began in 1975 during a visit to Luxor, Egypt, where he purchased a small terracotta funerary figure known as an ushabti from a local dealer. That single artefact became the foundation of a private collection that would later form the core of one of Catalonia’s most distinctive cultural institutions. In June 1992, he exhibited part of his collection at Hotel Claris in Barcelona, drawing significant public interest. This success led to the establishment of the Clos Archaeological Foundation in 1992, during the Olympic year, and two years later, the Egyptian Museum of Barcelona opened on La Rambla de Catalunya. Since 2000, the museum has been housed in a prominent three-storey building at 294 Carrer de València, where it now holds more than 1,300 artefacts spanning over 4,000 years of Egyptian history.
Clos is a born collector, insistent, persistent, who has made a youthful dream come true: to know and love an ancient culture. And most importantly: to want to share this knowledge and emotion with society as a whole.
, Bonaventura Bassegoda i Hugas, Art History Professor and Academician
Making Ancient Culture Accessible
In his acceptance speech, Clos emphasised his mission to democratise access to heritage. He highlighted how university lecturers and researchers today first encountered ancient Egyptian culture as children visiting his museum. "All these collections, all this effort, we have done openly [.] Now we have professors and university lecturers who, for the first time, visited the Egyptian Museum as children. They learned about Egyptian culture in our home," Clos said.
Growing a Pioneer Institution
The Egyptian Museum remains a privately funded institution dedicated to education and research. It collaborates with universities and hosts temporary exhibitions, educational programmes, and archaeological outreach initiatives. Its latest acquisitions were displayed during the ceremony, underscoring ongoing efforts to expand its holdings and public offerings. The museum continues to attract school groups, international visitors, and scholars interested in Nile Valley civilisations.
Reported by totbarcelona.cat, Tot Barcelona.
