Montserrat

Montserrat is a mountain northwest of Barcelona that is the home of the monastery of Santa María de Montserrat. The monastery was founded 1000 years ago and draws tourists, religious pilgrims, hikers, and scholars from around the world. Lots of them. During the Spanish Civil War, it was a sanctuary for artists, scholars, politicians, and others. Neither the breathtaking beauty of the drive up the mountain nor the terror of the vertical drop-offs can possibly be captured in a photograph.

 

 

We ran out of time so we weren't able to ride up the funicular that you see in this picture below. I sort of regret not getting to ride it, but I'm not sure I would've been able to force myself to look out. It was nerve-wracking enough driving in a bus up the steep hairpin turns from the base of the mountain.

Statue of St. Ramón de Llull. The same sculptor also designed the Passion sculptures on La Sagrada Familia, which we had seen the day before going to Montserrat. 

An aside:  Those of you who speak some Spanish know that the letter "ll" is pronounced like the English "y"-- llama, for example. I'm mentioning this because of the name of the saint, Ramón de Llull. Try pronouncing it. If I'd married him, I'd be Jill Llull.

The most surprising aspect of Montserrat was the phenomenal art museum it houses. The museum itself is a series of smallish rooms that feel more like rooms in someone's house than rooms in a museum, making it possible to stand inches from paintings by Picasso, Dalí, Caravaggio, and El Greco. The archaeological collections are fantastic as well.

Can you believe the color of the sky?

The courtyard of the Basilica of Monserrat. Inside the Basilica is a statue known as the Black Madonna, a reference to the dark wood from which she was carved, made even darker by age. She supposedly was carved in Jerusalem and brought to Montserrat for protection from being destroyed by non-Christians. The legend says the statue was  discovered in a cave on Montserrat by shepherds in 880. Yes, 880.

The Black Madonna is surrounded by protective glass, but the orb she holds in her right hand extends outside the glass for visitors to touch. She is on display in a secluded area of the cathedral, up many twisting and turning sets of stairs. All along the way are signs that say SILENCIO. Cameras aren't allowed, so I borrowed this photo from the internet. As I waited in line, I thought about my Grandma Kirsch, who would've appreciated this very moving Catholic experience.

Votives lit by visitors as we exited the basilica.

We were fortunate to be on Montserrat at a non-touristy, non-pilgrimage time of year. It was busy, but not so much that we couldn't take our time to look around and wonder how anyone had thought of choosing such a remote and challenging location for a place of worship. More than that, to wonder how it all was accomplished so majestically.