The daughters of Barcelona industrialist Julio Muñoz Ramonet have lost their final legal battle to gain control of their father’s art collection. The High Court of Catalonia (TSJC) has dismissed an appeal filed by notary Romano Künz, which challenged a ruling in favor of the Barcelona City Council. The court clarified that Muñoz Ramonet’s final wish was for his art collection to be handed over to the city of Barcelona. This decision is now final, with no further avenues for appeal.
The ruling brings an end to a series of lawsuits initiated by Muñoz Ramonet’s four daughters and one grandson, who claimed the inheritance belonged to them. The heirs had previously sought control of the foundation managing the collection in 2017 but were unsuccessful. However, they found another legal route to keep the case alive. Notary Romano Künz filed a new claim, demanding changes to the foundation’s bylaws and the removal of trustees to appoint Muñoz Ramonet’s daughters and grandson in their place.
Künz also presented an alternative proposal to the court, suggesting that if the current foundation were dissolved, a new one could be established to take full ownership and custody of the inheritance. However, the court rejected this proposal as well.
The heirs argued that a translation error had occurred in Muñoz Ramonet’s 1988 will, written in Chur, Switzerland. They claimed that the German word “Patronat” should have been interpreted as “patronage” rather than “trustee board.” According to them, Muñoz Ramonet never intended to donate the artworks to Barcelona but instead wanted the city to act as a patron, overseeing the preservation and maintenance of the collection.
The court, however, dismissed this argument, stating that Muñoz Ramonet’s final wish was indeed for his inheritance to be transferred to the Barcelona City Council. The court also rejected Künz’s claim that Muñoz Ramonet, as a “privileged figure of the Franco era,” would not have logically bequeathed his estate to a socialist municipality.
This decision marks another blow for Muñoz Ramonet’s daughters. Just last week, a judge ordered the return of 90 artworks to the foundation, which had been in the family’s possession. In 2020, the Civil Guard raided the family’s homes and warehouses, recovering 474 artworks. That case remains ongoing, with family members under investigation for alleged unlawful possession.
With this ruling, the long-standing legal battle over Muñoz Ramonet’s inheritance has finally come to an end, granting the Barcelona City Council full custody of the valuable art collection.
