“With a golden saw, little angels sawed these stones to build you a palace.” This simple and naive text from “Virolai”, an ancient ballad by Jacinta Verdaguer, brought to life by a millennium of worship of the image of the Holy Virgin,
expresses the admiration that many people feel towards the Holy Mountain of Montserrat.
The mountain, a symbol of the presence of the divine in all religions, became a place of Christian worship in Montserrat and the foundation of a Benedictine monastery established in the 11th century, located at an altitude of 725 meters above sea level.
Its outlines are so unusual that they evoke either awe or delight: huge bald cliffs, surrounding the Holy Mountain on all sides, rise up like idols.
Narrow channels resemble whimsical patterns, while dark caves add a special mystery to the appearance of Montserrat. The Catalans have many legends about the mountain, and we will tell you about them.
The main relic of the monastery is the statue of the Black Virgin Mary or the Dark-skinned Virgin, as the Holy Virgin is called due to the dark color of her face, attracting thousands of pilgrims from all over the world to Montserrat, and she helps! Legends about the miraculous power of the Holy Virgin of Montserrat are known throughout the Christian world. Every visitor to the monastery strives to ascend to the Black Madonna, touch her, and make the most cherished wish.
During the service, you will have a unique opportunity to hear the oldest choir in Europe and world-famous boys’ choir “Escolania de Montserrat”.
You will be able to visit the monastery, enter the basilica, touch the Holy Virgin of Montserrat, ascend to the mountain’s peak by funicular, from where there is a panoramic view of the monastery and surroundings, or descend to the place where the statue of the Virgin Mary was found over a thousand years ago – to the Holy Cave.
In addition, you will be delighted by the tasting of liqueurs and various types of cheeses that are traditionally sold on the monastery grounds.
