Western Mallorca - Mallorca - page 205

day it was back where it had been found. Three times it was taken to Escorca and three
times it returned. A chapel was built near the site to commemorate the miracle, possibly
around 1268. The religious sanctuary came later. Since then thousands of pilgrims have
come every year to pay homage to the 14th-century (and thus not the original) statue of
the Virgin of Lluc , known as La Moreneta (the Black Madonna) because of the
statuette's dark complexion.
THE PATHS OF PILGRIMS
Like so many before him, Antoni Gaudí made the pigrimage to the Monestir de
Lluc in April 1908, leaving a donation of 25 pesetas. In October that same year he
returned, this time with his protégé Joan Rubió in tow. He redesigned the church in
the same baroque style as the chancel and oversaw the creation of the stone
monuments that grace the Pujol des Misteris (Hill of the Mysteries), which rises
behind the monastery complex.
An old stone trail, partly shaded by holm oaks, leads up this hill, which recounts
the mysteries of the rosaries. Taking in monuments and three bronze reliefs, hid-
den in the twilight of a rock overhang, the trail is a place for peaceful contempla-
tion. From the cross at the top, linger for grandstand views of the valley and the
boulder-strewn peaks of the Tramuntana. The walk takes around half an hour to
complete.
Numerous walking routes leave from the monastery. One is a challenging 11km,
five-hour circuit of Puig de Massanella (1365m), Mallorca's second-highest peak,
with sensational views from its summit. Another is a 9km, 3½ hour circuit of Puig
Tomir (1103m), a stiff, rocky ascent into the lonely heights of the Tramuntana,
where you may see vultures and falcons. Lluc is also a stop on the long-distance
GR221 between Sant Elm and Pollença.
For the true spirit of a blister-footed pilgrim, join thousands of Mallorcans on the
Marxa des Güell a Lluc a Peu ( http://desguellallucapeu.es ) , a 42km, all-night march on
the first Saturday in August from the Plaça Güell in Palma to the Monestir de Lluc,
taking in farmland, hill towns and the Serra de Tramuntana by torchlight.
Sights
Monestir de Lluc MONASTERY, GARDENS
( www.lluc.net ; Plaça dels Peregrins; monastery & gardens free, museum adult/child €2/free, Lluc
ticket €3; 10am-5pm) Entered via a cloistered garden, the monastery is a huge austere
complex, dating mostly from the 17th to 18th centuries. Off the central courtyard is the