Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey, Monestir de Montserrat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Montserrat is a mountain and a Benedictine Abbey, and is a working monastery where famously the Boy’s Choir Escolania performs. After taking a train about an hour from Barcelona and in order to access this scenic mountainous area, visitors get a choice between taking a cogwheel train or a cable car up to the Abbey. This site has a history of over 1,000 years and is a well-known pilgrimage site to especially see the admired Black Madonna, also known as La Moreneta. The legend is that shepherds found the Black Madonna in a cave on the mountain in the 9th century and with it being too heavy to move, it was decided to leave it where it was found and build a church around it.
The history of the Monastery itself came after the hermitage of Santa Maria, after which the sanctuary which was given by a Count to the Monastery of Ripoll in the year 888, and after that in 1025, the Abbot of Ripoll founded the monastery to receive pilgrims and spread the word of miracles performed by the Virgin Mary of Monserrat. In 1409, it became an Abbey, and in the 1800s it became a cultural and musical center for composers. The Abbey went through periods of abandonment and damage during the French War 1808-1811 and also during the Spanish Civil war 1936-1939 at which point the Monastery was saved by the Government of Catalonia, when the wars were not going on there was restoration of monastic life and pilgrimage to the site.
(Citation: https://www.montserratvisita.com/en/history….)
When I visited, I decided to take the cogwheel train up since it was a bit newer than the cable car and I prefer to be on the ground rather than in the air. The views were extensive on the way up the Mountain, unfortunately it rained as I got off the R5 train from Barcelona and I didn’t have an umbrella. But miraculously, by the time I reached the summit of Montserrat at the Abbey, it had stopped raining and I could appreciate the expansive views from the platform nearby the Cremallera de Montserrat (rack railway) which is part of the Montserrat Monestir station. I looked all around me at the vast canyon and felt at harmony and peace with the world around me, as I was dwarfed by an amazing natural landscape of the most unique rock formations I had ever seen with serrated peaks that are truly breathtaking. No wonder this area was designated a National Park in 1987 as it beauty attracts many visitors. Montserrat is a peaceful oasis outside of the City, that provides quiet, connection to nature and is a place of mystery surrounding the miracles associated with the site. Then I progressed up some stairs up closer to the Abbey, just outside is the Plaza Santa Maria which is where you can access the monastery and basilica, and has a viewpoint with 5 arches with representation of different founding saints.
However the real star of the site, is the Black Madonna who is a sought-after statue that draws many believers to visit her seeking healing and spiritual rebirth, and peace. They believe touching her outstretched hand will lead to the healing miracle. The statue is mostly behind glass, but her outstretched hand with orb, is exposed so that people can touch her and pray. People wait in long lines everyday to visit her, touch her hand and pray. There is an associated Basilica and a church associated with the site, and there is an area on site to light a candle in prayer. The Basilica is a combination of architectural styles, called Eclectic Style. There is an open, expansive courtyard called the Atrium of Abbot Argerich which has arches leading to the area, sculptures like the 12 apostles with Jesus on the façade, shrines to significant Christian Saints and a marble floor that is similar to the floor at the Capitolium of Rome, designed by Michalangelo which in turn was inspired by the omphalos of Delphi, in Greece. The Benedictines are known as “the guardians of the hell gates” and that is said to be that they guard the portals to other worlds. The geometric of the inlaid marble floor is so very beautiful, well-crafted and has meaningful associations to the Christian faith and holds a lot of symbolic representation. (Citation: https://montserratmountain.com/en/montserrat-sanctuary/) Inside the basilica are ornate arches, gold, stained glass, many statues and an intricate stone arch that leads to the area where the Black Madonna is located. Along the walls, floor and ceiling, there are detailed mosaic tiled artwork that glitters and shines. I didn’t arrive during the time you can get up close to the Black Madonna but I could see her from the Basilica up high in a lit box terrace area, and saw that the Pope had come to visit her.
I include this site in my studies because it is a Monastery and there is a long history of the Catholic faith being founded on caring for the poor, the sick and those in need. The Monks saught/seek to heal people mostly by providing spiritual care and healing, but Monasteries also provide a holistic approach to healthcare involving the physical and spiritual. Infirmaries at Monasteries care for the sick and dying and at different points in history, have served as hospitals for the community. Historically, During the medieval times, Monks and nuns functioned as healthcare providers, offering medical care to the monastic community and the local surrounding population. They used herbal remedies, prayer and simple surgeries to provide care to people and they had basic understanding of anatomy and also provided knowledge of medical care by saving knowledge within libraries so that this information was maintained and not lost.
Some terms I looked up to differentiate spaces from one another was “Monastery,” which the entire complex including monk’s quarters, museum, and support facilities. “Abbey” which refers to the Benedictine monastic community itself, the order of Monks that reside at Montserrat and “Basilica” which is the Church, within the Monastery which is a focal point for visitors and those who want to worship (with) the Black Madonna.
Overall, I’d recommend a visit or pilgrimage to the site of Montserrat to enjoy the beautiful landscapes, the eclectic historical architecture of the Benedictine Abbey and Monastery and to allow space in your life for reflection and renewal.
