Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
- there's a lot to be said for taking your own picnic instead and striking off into the hills for
an alfresco lunch.
Legends hangeasily uponMontserrat. Fiftyyearsafter thebirthofChrist, StPeter issaidto
have deposited an image of the Virgin (known as La Moreneta, the Black Virgin), carved by
St Luke, in one of the mountain caves. The icon was lost in the early eighth century after be-
ing hidden during the Moorish invasion, but reappeared in 880, accompanied by the custom-
aryvisionsandcelestialmusic.Achapelwasbuilttohouseit,andin976thiswassuperseded
by a Benedictine monastery, set at an altitude of nearly 1000m. Miracles abounded and the
Virgin of Montserrat soon became the chief cult-image of Catalunya and a pilgrimage centre
second in Spain only to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, with the main
pilgrimages
to
MontserrattakingplaceonApril27andSeptember8.Inadditiontothetourists,tensofthou-
sands of newly married couples come here to seek La Moreneta's blessing, while Montserrat
has also become something of an important nationalist symbol for Catalans.
The monastery
Basilica
Daily 7.30am-8pm; access to La Moreneta 8-10.30am & noon-6.30pm (plus mid-July-Sept
7.30-9pm) •
Boys' choir
Mon-Thurs at 1pm & 6.45pm, Fri 1pm, Sun at noon & 6.45pm • Free
The monastery's various outbuildings - including hotel and restaurant, post office, souvenir
shop,self-servicecafeteriaandbar-fanoutaroundanopensquare,andthereareextraordin-
ary mountain views from the terrace.
Ofthereligiousbuildings,onlytheRenaissance
Basilica
,datinglargelyfrom1560to1592,
isopentothepublic.
LaMoreneta
standsabovethehighaltar-reachedfrombehind,byway
of an entrance to the right of the basilica's main entrance. The approach to this beautiful icon
reveals the enormous wealth ofthe monastery,as youqueue along a corridor leading through
the back of the basilica's rich side-chapels. Signs at head height command “SILENCE” in
