Location: Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey, Monistrol de Montserrat, Spain
November 16, 2017
A good old Google search for “best day trips from Barcelona” saw me board a train that brought me to the foot of the mountain of Montserrat in Monistrol de Montserrat.
From there, the way up was by travelling 1350 metres up the mountain in a cable car!
The views over the Llobregat river and valley below were breathtaking!
Montserrat is a holy mountain for Catalans, its religious significance dating back to pre-Christian times, when Romans buikd a temple to honor Venus. Over the centuries, it significance continued and is now an important religious retreat for young people to make overnight hikes at least once in their lives to watch the sunrise from the heights of the mountain.
An abbey of the Order of Saint Benedict is located at the top and is notable for enshrining the image of the Virgin of Montserrat.
The monastery was founded in the 11th century and rebuilt between the 19th and 20th centuries, and still functions to this day, with over 70 monks.
The current Basilica Santa Maria de Montserrat was contructed in 1811.
Many visitors make the pilgramages specifically to visit the image of the Virgin of Montserrat, who is Catalonia’s favourite saint.
According to tradition the stature was carved in the 6th century and was brought to Spain by the Bishop of Barcelona. After an invasion by ‘infideles’, the safety of this miraculous image was in question and was thus hidden in a small cave on the mountain in the year 718. Over the years the location of the statue was forgotten however Catalans never forgot the holy image. Then, in 890, sheperd boys from a nearby village reported hearing singing and seeing lights coming from the mountain. Subsequently, a priest and the Bishop also witnessed the same surprising events, which led to the discovery of the statue in the cave. It was brought out and a church was built as a sanctuary.
I had never heard of the Virgin of Montserrat -the ‘Black Madonna’ as the statue is locally called- before arriving and I was quite curious to discover it. Visitors quietly line up for their turn to view the statue, incased in glass. Only the orb held by the Virgin Mary is left unprotected and it is customary for the faithful to touch or kiss it. I chose the less ‘germ-y’ option, of course! Interestingly enough, the statue was not originally painted black nor was a darker wood utilized. Quite simply, centuries of exposure to candle smoke have changed the natural color from a lighter tone to black. Subsequent generations of restorers have continued to repaint it black.
A special treat awaits visitors lucky enough to visit at the right time of day: a short performance by The Escolania, Montserrat’s Boys’ Choir, which is one of the oldest in Europe.