Montserrat Visita

Here you will find all the information about Montserrat and very interesting visiting proposals whether you come with the family or with a group of friends.

The incomparable Mountain of Montserrat, unique in the world for its distinctive shape and form, is about 50km from the city of Barcelona. Montserrat comprises the sanctuary of the Virgin Mary of Montserrat and the Benedictine monastery, which for almost 1.000 years has been at the service of pilgrims from all over the world, who come to worship the Black Madonna. Thanks to its splendid mountain setting and its eminently religious character, Montserrat has become, not least because it is easy to reach, an excellent starting point for excursions and for high-level rock climbing.

The image of Our Lady of Montserrat, popularly known as La Moreneta (the Dark One), due to the dark colour of Her skin, is a truly beautiful 12th century Romanesque polychrome carving, proclaimed Patron Saint of Catalonia in 1881 by Pope Leo XIII. Thee imatge was enthroned in a silver altarpiece, paid for by popular subscription in 1947, and has since then been worshipped daily by thousands of the faithful.

Montserrat is home to one of the oldest boys’ choirs in Europe. The Escolania now accompanies religious ceremonies and communal prayers in the basilica. The beauty of their singing is the result of their accurate and intensive musical training, along with the intellectual education that the boys receive from the Benedictine community

Several different collections form the Museum of Montserrat: Archaeology of the Biblical East: objects from the cultures of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Cyprus and the Holy Land. Early painting: with works by Berruguete, El Greco, Caravaggio, Tiepolo, amongst others. A very representative collection of Modern painting and sculptures from the mid-19th to the mid-20th centuries, including works by outstanding artists such as Rusiñol, Casas, Nonell, Picasso, Dalí, Monet, Sisley and Degas. Nigra Sum. Iconography of Our Lady of Montserrat and Phos Hilaron, a Byzantine and Slavic-icon collection displayed as in an Eastern Church, where light plays an important part.

The Audiovisual room respond and offer substance to the thousands of visitors and pilgrims who are interested in learning about Montserrat and its significance. The exhibition is based on three fundamental pillars: mountain, monastery and sanctuary.

Montserrat is also an Open-air Museum. In the heritage whole of the sanctuary, we must mention sculptural works by renowned authors such as Josep M. Subirachs, and the Monumental Rosary, in which sculptors and architects such as Josep Puig i Cadafalch, Antoni Gaudí, Josep Llimona or the Vallmitjana brothers took part.