“With a golden saw the little angels sawed these stones to build you a palace.” This simple and naive text of “Virolaya,” an ancient ballad by Jacinta Verdaguer, enlivened by thousands of years of adoration of the image of the Holy Virgin,
expresses the admiration that many people feel for the Holy Mountain of Montserrat.
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The mountain, a symbol of the presence of the divine in all religions, became in Montserrat a place of Christian worship and the foundation in the eleventh century of a Benedictine monastery located 725 meters above sea level.
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Its shape is so unusual that it causes either awe or delight: huge bald cliffs, clothed on all sides of the Holy Mountain, towering like idols.
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Narrow canals resemble fanciful patterns, and gloomy caves give the whole appearance of Montserrat special mystery. Catalans have many legends about the mountain, and we will tell you about them.
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The main relic of the monastery – the statue of the Black Virgin Mary, or Darkie, as the Holy Virgin was nicknamed because of the dark color of her face – attracts thousands of pilgrims from all over the world to Montserrat, and she – helps! Legends of the miraculous power of the Holy Virgin of Montserrat are known throughout the Christian world. Every visitor to the monastery seeks to climb up to the Black Madonna, touch and make the deepest wish.
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During the service you will have a unique opportunity to hear the oldest in Europe and world-famous chant“Escolania de Montserrat”.
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You can visit the monastery, enter the basilica, touch the Holy Virgin of Montserrat, climb to the top of the mountain on the funicular, where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the monastery and the surrounding area, or descend to the place where the statue of the Virgin Mary was found more than a thousand years ago – the Holy Cave.
In addition, you will not leave indifferent tasting liqueurs and various types of cheeses, which are traditionally traded on the territory of the monastery.
