Montserrat

Montserrat is a multi-peaked mountain located near the city of Barcelona.  It is part of the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range. The main peaks are Sant Jeroni (4,055 feet), Montgrós (3,674 feet) and Miranda de les Agulles (2,962 feet). The Caribbean island of Montserrat was named by Christopher Columbus after the mountain.

It is the site of the Benedictine abbey, Santa Maria de Montserrat, which hosts the Black Virgin of Montserrat sanctuary and which is identified by some with the location of the Holy Grail in Arthurian myth.

"Montserrat" literally means "saw (serrated) mountain" in Catalan. It describes its peculiar aspect with multitude of rock formations which are visible from a great distance. The mountain is composed of strikingly pink conglomerate, a form of sedimentary rock. Montserrat is Spain's first National Park.

The rugged outline of Mount Montserrat means that the construction of the Sanctuary is not uniform. Its structure is made up of two large blocks of buildings: the Basilica, together with Monastery buildings, and the buildings for tourists and pilgrims.  We may visit all but the actual Monastery, as it is an active Monastery

The main aim of the Montserrat Benedictine community is to insure that the mountain, the Monastery and the Sanctuary remain a place where people gather and worship. 

The present community at Montserrat is made up of over seventy monks. As in all Benedictine monasteries, the Montserrat monks dedicate all their life to prayer, providing shelter and work. Life in the monastery follows a set rhythm in which work and prayer both play a part, according to Saint Benedict's motto, Ora et labora.  They also are permitted to have other vocations, so there are many involved in scientific research, history, theology, sociology, music, etc. 

One of the funicular stations on the mountain

A garden between two of the structures that can house pilgrrims and visitors

Sculpture of Saint George

These buildings are places where pilgrims to Montserrat can stay during retreats and such.

Square of the Cross

This square owes its name to the cross that can be found to the left of the square. This is a work of art by Josep M. Subirach (1927) and is dedicated to San Miguel, the Patron Saint of Montserrat. The meaning of the name of the Archangel Michael (San Miguel) is engraved on the cross in various languages; it means "Who is as God ? ".

Hardly visible is another cross on top of the rock just above the lower cross.  When the church doors are open there is a cross in the nave that perfectly lines up with the other two.

The Basilica.  Architecturally speaking, the Basilica falls between the Gothic and Renaissance traditions, the latter of which began to spread through Catalonia in the 16th century. The Basilica was greatly damaged during the War with the French (1808-1814), and could not be reconstructed until the end of the 19th century .

Above the doors, the twelve Apostles

The nave

 Votive lamps, distributed throughout the central nave. Some of them have an out- standing artistic value and are representative of Catalan silversmithery that began in the post war period (1940).  Those lamps, which are in remembrance of the ones that were there before the destruction of Montserrat (1811-1812), have been donated by districts, villages and different Catalan groups and entities, and by associations of Catalans in other countries.  The whole symbolizes an offering and a constant presence of the Catalan people at the feet of Saint Mary of Montserrat, their patron saint.  The picture does not do them justice.  They are really beautiful ornate lamps all along the nave.  

"The Legend of Montserrat:  The "Moreneta"

 A legend of year 1239 tells that, at dusk from a Saturday of year 880, a great light descended from the sky, and whose brilliance left ecstatics young shepherds that contemplated the event; formidable brilliance was accompanied of beautiful angelic melody as background music. Following Saturday the children returned to the same place of the event accompanied by their parents, and the moving vision was repeated; the same it happened four following Saturdays, when it accompanied the vice-chancellor of Olesa de Montserrat, and all together stated the same and surprising stellar wonder.

The bishop, who was in Manresa, could not take in having the news of the happened thing in the mountain and he decided to verify the facts with its own eyes; in the expedition a natural cavern was discovered: Santa Cova, in whose interior they found an image of Maria with the Boy in his lap, with the face and hands of black color.

Gotmar, the bishop of Vic, proposed moving the statue to Manresa; but as soon as it was removed from the cave and carried down the mountain, the image became so heavy that there was no form to move it off the ground; the interpretation for the bishop was easy: the will of the Virgin was to remain in that sacred place; reason why it endorsed the divine will and he decided to construct a chapel so that Maria was venerated in the mountain of Montserrat.

According to the legend, “the Moreneta” (the brunette),  was carved in wood burned by the effect of a ray, by the same San Lucas in Jerusalem and brought to Catalonia by San Pedro, later being deposited in the church of San Justo, to be venerated by Santa Eulalia and San Oleguer; the image, well-known like “the Jerosolimitana”, would be hidden at the beginning of century VIII because of the Muslim invasion, taking it to Montserrat, where it would be hidden in Santa Cova, remaining there hidden until the 880, year of the phenomena of the strange lights.

This is the legend but the truth is that many historians have done hypotheses about this subject, and the most accepted is that the Virgin was hidden in the cave by some monks to avoid being found by the Muslims and burned. Some years after, some pastors saw a shooting star and they found the cave and the statuette. The bishop built a monastery and the rest of the story is a legend".

In 1947, the image was enthroned in a silver altarpiece, paid for by popular subscription and installed in the upper section of the basilica apse.

Artistically, the image imitates a popular model, that of Our Lady Majesty, with a wholly frontal attitude and Baby Jesus on Her lap in the centre. Both Mother and Child are wearing crowns. 

The figure of Our Lady stretches out Her right hand, which holds the globe, symbolising the cosmos. Our Lady nearly rests Her left hand on the Child's shoulder, indicating that this omnipotent king is Her Son. With His right hand, the Child gives a blessing, whilst His left hand holds a pinecone, symbol of fertility and everlasting life.

You have to go down the right hand aisle and climb the stais to reach the niche where the "black madonna" sits.  Many pilgrims come here to to touch the globe in the right hand of Our Lady and to make a prayer.

The exit from the niche is via the Path of the Ave Maria, where pilgrims now leave the candles they offer to Our Lady as an act of thanks or in remembrance of the prayer they have said at the Shrine.

Today, scientists believe that as the statue is wood, that the thousands of candles lit around her for prayers have turned the faces, hands and feet black.

Inside the courtyard surrounding the basilica is the monks cells.

Members of the Aragon aristocracy are interred here

Some of the Saints connected with Montserrat

The funicular (very steep) which goes to the top of the mountain and leads to hiking paths is known to the locals as the "Zipper" and it does kind of look like a zipper.

Beautiful vistas 

The barely visible sno-caps on the horizon are the Pyranees Mountains

A serene place

Montserrat is home to one of the oldest boys’ choirs in Europe. 

Over the course of its history, the school has produced a good number of choirmasters and musicians, as well as well-known composers and teachers. The Escolania also enables some of the monks at Montserrat to work in the field of composing, producing and teaching music.

The first account of there being a Boy's Choir at Montserrat dates right back to 1223. Around the seventeenth and eighteenth century the music school at Montserrat really began to gain in importance and recognition.

Today there are about 50 boys in the Boy's Choir at Montserrat. They are also educated in other areas of academia while they are schooled at Montserrat. Not only do they perform in Montserrat, they have also given concerts in several countries around the world. They have recorded over 100 albums.

The long building leading up to the monastery is where the boys reside during their time at Montserrat.  They live here except during the month of July and the Christmas holiday's.  

There are strict entrance requirements for joining the l'Escolania Choir.

You should apply when the child is seven years old or more.

The child must have a naturally good voice and musical ear - the Monks ask for no more training than this as it will be their job to hone the skill.

The child and his parents must be keen for him to be involved in the spiritual side of life at Montserrat Monastery.

If the child is accepted into Montserrat school, he will begin there at the age of 10, having completed primary school.  He will stay until his voice changes.

I thought this passage I read regarding the hospitality of the benedictines particularly uplifting and an appropriate last thought for this day on a beautiful mountain.

"The life of the monks in terms of humanity and faith is no different to the basic experience of all men and women because, when all is told, we all live with the same problems around us: problems regarding love, solitude, personal harmony, solidarity, work, use of material goods... and, sometimes, wearied or even weak faith. 

The life of faith leads the monk to discover the presence of Christ in another, whoever he or she may be. This means the monk must welcome him or her in a sincere and friendly manner and must feel himself to be the brother of all people".