The Mataró Prison (Elies Rogent, 1863) is a construction of great relevance in the history of contemporary prison architecture because it constitutes the first example of the panoptic model in Spain. It housed many political prisoners in Francoist Spain and remained in use until 1967.

Since the beginning of 2022, the building has been converted into the Mataró Art Contemporani (M|A|C), the contemporary art centre of the city. It was transformed from a former centre of repression into a point of cultural freedom: an ideal point of departure for one of the objectives of Manifesta 15 Barcelona, which is to activate new cultural spaces linked to Catalan social history.

To reach M|A|C, take the R1 Renfe train towards Maçanet-Massanes, Blanes, Arenys de Mar, or Mataró. Get off at Mataró train station, then it's just a 16-minute walk to M|A|C. For the best route and the latest public transport details, plan your journey to M|A|C on Google Maps.