Sanctuary of Montserrat; what to see?

Sanctuary of Montserrat is a religious, magical and cultural place. With breathtaking routes, postcard views and artifacts that tell the story of the abbey that lies on the mountain. Barcelona Private tours offers you the best tours to enjoy a unique place in religious history.

Montserrat Abbey

The Benedictine abbey of Montserrat has a powerful status during all historical periods of Catalonia. You can easily enter its Basilica, but the other sacred spaces of the monastery are closed to the public or have special opening hours. There are numerous legends about the life of the Benedictine monks. The old Abbey building was almost entirely demolished by Napoleonic troops, who tried to find the Holy Grail in the walls of the Abbey. The building that can be seen today is the result of the 19th century remodeling. During the Franco dictatorship, the Abbey of Montserrat became a symbol of opposition to that leading political power. It was the only place that offered indigenous religious services in Catalan despite the official prohibition of this language and many anti-nationalist leaders took refuge behind the walls of this monastery.

The Moreneta

The Black Virgin of Montserrat, patron saint of Catalonia, is one of the things to see at the Sanctuary of Montserrat. The Black Madonna is one of the exceptional wooden images of the Virgin of a totally black color. Here, people from all over the world come to worship here and see this miraculous sculpture. According to legend, it was discovered by shepherds in the region in the 9th century; they suddenly noticed a bright light that indicated to them the place of the Santa Cova (Holy Cave of Montserrat), where the statue was hidden. When the shepherds wanted to move the Black Madonna to the nearby village of Manresa, it became so heavy that they considered it as a sign to leave the statue on the mountain. It is located in the Basilica of Montserrat and can be visited free of charge, 50 km from Barcelona.

Museum of Montserrat

The Museum has a very large collection of artistic masterpieces from the thirteenth to the twentieth centuries. You can see works by El Greco, Caravaggio, Berruguete, as well as paintings by French impressionists Pissarro, Degas, Monet and 20th century geniuses such as Dali, Picasso and Rusiñol. The museum also houses relics of ancient Egyptian art along with icons and jewelry from the 15th to 20th centuries. The design of the museum building also deserves special attention, as it was designed by Puig i Cadafalch, a famous Catalan architect of the art nouveau period.

Sant Jeroni

It is the highest peak of the rocky massif of Montserrat, with a height of 1236 meters above sea level. A circular route to climb the highest peak of the mountain Montserrat, Sant Jeroni has a duration of approximately 4 hours. The views on this part of the route to Sant Jeroni are spectacular, as you can see the Pyrenees, Collserola, Montseny and all around the mountain of Montserrat.