The monastery of Montserrat in Spain is a spiritual symbol of Catalonia and a well-known center of pilgrimage. The holy place is located 50 kilometers from Barcelona, at the foot of Montserrat Mountain, which translated from Catalan means “cut (sawed) mountains.” The temple is located at an altitude of 725 meters above sea level. The highest peak is 1236 meters. The mountain range is 10 km long and 5 km wide and consists of limestone rocks. It attracts the attention of many tourists coming to Spain. The area has been declared a national park of Catalonia. There are many signposted hiking trails and more than 1,500 plant species. The cable car and funicular railway have been in operation since 2003, as the mountains have become an important tourist attraction. Interestingly, local residents call the strange rocks by different names - “mummy”, “bishop’s stomach”, “elephant trunk”, “camel”. In 1987, the mountain and its surroundings were declared a national park.
The Montserrat Monastery was built here in honor of the Holy Virgin Mary. In 880, in a mountain cave, local shepherds found a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary holding a newborn baby in her arms. It was so heavy that they could not take it out of the cave and decided to leave it there.
In the IX century, four Catholic monasteries appeared in the mountains of Montserrat. Benedictine monks came here in the 11th century. In 1025, the influential Abbot Oliba laid the first stone of the foundation. Later a monument was erected to him.
The monastery was built in the Romanesque style. In 1522, this place was blessed by Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order. A little later, the cathedral was built in the Renaissance style with Gothic elements, consecrated in 1592. In 1610, the remains of two Popes were transferred here: Alexander VI and Callistus III.
Everything was going well until Napoleon appeared, but in 1811 his army destroyed almost everything. Several decades later, the temple began to be restored. The process lasted a hundred years. When the building was completed, it became a symbol and pillar of Catalonia, as it reflects the history of the people. Only here at one time (during the reign of dictator Franco) services and weddings were held in the forbidden Catalan language.
The restored cathedral is a mixture of several styles, in which Art Nouveau predominates. Above the main portal are depictions of Jesus and the 12 apostles:
You can get there from the central square:
8-ton altar, carved into the rock, decorated with enamel and silver. Inside there is also a canopy ring depicting the creation of the world, a chapel niche dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the largest organ in Catalonia and one of the largest in Europe, stained glass windows and a rosette with images of the Virgin Mary and her life, paintings and a chapel.
The most interesting is the chapel of Our Lady, namely the silver throne and Our Lady of Montserrat with the baby Jesus and the sphere that symbolizes the universe. There is a widespread legend among Christians according to which the so-called “Black Madonna” (La Moreneta) has divine power, so women come to her with various requests. According to legend, it was carved by Saint Luke, and Saint Peter took it to Spain. In 718, the statue was hidden in the mountains of Montserrat to protect it from the Saracens, and then it was lost. The “Black Madonna” was discovered by shepherds in 890 thanks to an angelic song and mysterious lights emanating from a cave, but it was not preserved and its copy was created in the 12th century in a monastery.
Currently, about 80 Benedictine monks live in the Montserrat monastery. On its territory there is a museum with a unique collection of Orthodox icons, jewelry, statues and paintings from the XV-XX centuries. Among the museum's exhibits are paintings by Caravaggio, Monet, Degas, El Greco, Picasso, Dali.
The monastery also has a library containing more than 300 thousand books from the Middle Ages, including 400 manuscripts.
In the Montserrat Monastery there is a choir of boys aged 9-14 - Escolania de Montserrat. It still exists today from the 14th century. The choir participates in afternoon and evening services almost every day. In particular, at 13:00 the performance of the hymn dedicated to the Virgin Mary - Virolai de Montserrat.
On the eastern outskirts of Montserrat, the architect Giuseppe Subirax built the steps of a symbolic staircase leading to eternity: stone - fire - earth - plant - animal - man - angel - sky - creator.
Admission to Montserrat Monastery is free.
Address of the Monastery of Montserrat: Monistrol de Montserrat.
How to get there:
- by bus (company Autocares Julià). Departs from Barcelona at 09:15 once a day all year round. Return from the monastery at 17:00 from October 1 to May 31 and at 18:00 from June 1 to September 30. Get off at the bus station near Sants (Plaça dels Paisos Catalans)train station. To get there you will need the green L3 or blue L5 metro line, stop Sants . You will reach the monastery (Plaza del Funicle). Travel time is 1 hour 25 minutes. Ticket price - 5.10 euros;
- on the green L3 metro line, stop Pl.Espanya; Follow the signs to take the FGCtrain line R5 towards Manresa (Manresa) direction. These trains run from 08:36 to 16:36 with an interval of 30-60 minutes. Travel time is 60-70 minutes. Your destination will be Montserrat-Aeri or Monistrol de Montserrat at the foot of Montserrat Mountain. It depends on how you plan to climb Montserrat: by cable car (Aeri) or by funicular (Cremallera).< /p>
Ticket prices:
- For adults (14+) one way to Montserrat. The price includes a train ride from Barcelona Pl.Espanya station to Montserrat and a choice of two: a cable car ride to the monastery (5 min.), for which you need get off Montserrat-Aeri or take the Cremallera funicular (15 min.), for which you need to get off at the station Monistrol de In Montserrat - 14,55 euros;
- for adults (14+) the same, but round trip - 26,30 euros;
- the same ticket for children one way - 10,35 euros, round trip - 19,30 euros;
-one way for people over 60 years old - 13,70 euros, round trip - 24,90 euros;
- a funicular ticket from the monastery to one of the highest peaks of Montserrat (1000 meters above sea level), namely to the Chapel of St. John (Sant Joan): one way - 9.10 euros, round trip - 11.50 euros;
- ticket on the funicular from the monastery to the cave Santa Cova: one way - 3.50 euros, round trip - 5.50 euros;
- ticket for entry to the Montserrat Museum: for adults - 8 euros, for students and pensioners - 6.50 euros, for children 8-16 years old - 4 euros, audio guide - additional 2.20 euros;
- ticket Trans Montserrat - 45 euros; This ticket includes: 1) train travel from Barcelona to the foot of Montserrat and then to the monastery by cable car and Cremallera (this must be selected in advance); 2) two funicular rides from the monastery to the top of Montserrat and the Santa Cova cave; 3) two free trips on the Barcelona metro; 4) entrance to the audiovisual area of Montserrat Mountain; 5) The discount does not apply to this ticket;
- ticket ToT Montserrat - 68,25 euros; This ticket includes everything that was in the previous ticket. In addition, you can enter the Montserrat Museum for free and dine at the Montserrat buffet restaurant for free.
This is what the Cremallera funicular looks like:
Cable car:
Funicular railway Santa Cova:
Funicular railway Sant Joan:
To buy museum tickets online and for more information, visit the official Montserrat website: http://www.abadiamontserrat.net.
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