You need to start the story about Montserrat … with “target designation”. That is, it is located just 50 kilometers north-west of Barcelona, and since the roads there are excellent, it is essentially very close. If we translate this name from the Catalan language, then it will mean “split (or sawn) mountain”, and if you look at it closely from a distance, then you can quite agree with it, although it seems to someone that this is “many, many sugar heads ", or even" devil's fingers "sticking out of the ground. Or "fingers of angels"? This is someone who likes it!
Montserrat from afar …
By itself, this massif is quite small: only 10 kilometers in length and five in width. Its height is no more than 1236 meters. So here too, Montserrat has no special preferences over other mountains. Nevertheless, this place is one of the most visited in the world. Why?
The monastery complex and the road leading to it.
There are three reasons named, and each of them has a meaning. And all together and even more so.
So, let's start with the first: here, at an altitude of 725 meters above sea level, there is the Montserrat monastery, which belongs to Benedictine monks, and its basilica keeps a unique Catholic shrine - the Black Madonna. The second reason is simpler, but no less significant - it is the amazing beauty of the local limestone rocks, which were admired and admired by artists, poets, and simply lovers of views.
Map of the monastery with all its buildings.
The third reason is that "Catalonia is not Spain!" And so we have it, and you do not. And if so, then "it" must be looked at, otherwise what kind of Catalan are you ?!
A three-rail narrow-gauge railway going all the way to the monastery.
Legally, Catalonia is one of the 17 large provinces in Spain. And each such province enjoys certain political rights: it has its own flag, its own government, and the population is allowed to speak its own language. Legal proceedings and document circulation are conducted in two languages - local and Spanish. But the Catalans are not satisfied with this at all, and they want complete independence. The desire for it is manifested in Catalonia in everything: the names of streets, cities and railway stations are written here and announced aloud in the Catalan language. On 80% of the balconies in the cities of Catalonia, Catalan flags are hung (this does not mean that Spanish flags are hung on the remaining 20% … they are simply not there at all!). On the walls and transformer booths one can see the inscriptions: “Catalonia is not Spain” and then it’s not at all good about the police …
Cable car station.
It is curious that in Spain, where 75% of the inhabitants are Catholics, it is in Catalonia that atheists are the most. In local cities, especially small ones, closed churches no longer surprise anyone, and the service in them is a holiday for local believers who gather there on an ad, as if to a club.
Museum (left).
Montserrat is just one of the very few Benedictine monasteries that have survived in Catalonia to this day. But on the other hand, he owns the Black Madonna, and Catalonia itself owns the Costa Brava, which received the blue flag of UNESCO. In addition, Catalonia contributes to the budget of Spain up to 25% of all its total state revenues, so the Catalans believe that they give more to Spain than they receive from it! And they want the opposite, and they want it very much. And those who want something should ask the Black Madonna … Here are the Catalans and climb this mountain to ask freedom for the entire Catalan people … well, ask for little things personally for themselves.
Here you can see especially clearly where everything is here …
There are many legends about how Montserrat came to be. Just like the legends associated with the acquisition of the figure of the Madonna, which some unknown shepherds found in one of the caves on the mountain. They wanted to take it down, but only it turned out to be so heavy, albeit small in size, that the local bishop took it as a sign and decided to build her temple right on the mountain.
The view from above on the monastery complex is simply stunning.
So it was all or not, but the real person, about whom we know that it was he who founded the monastery on the mountain, was Abbot Oliba (971-1046). The Benedictine monks built the first basilica there, and when it was consecrated, the statue of the Madonna "agreed" to leave its cave and move to a more appropriate place for it.
Even then, the Madonna's face and hands were dark in color, but at that time there was no Baby on her lap and a sphere in her right hand that could be touched to fulfill her cherished desire. Both the baby and this sphere were made only in the 18th century. But why is it dark? Was Madonna really a black woman? Negretta - "black", as the Catalans call it, owes its appearance to antiquity. Then, in pre-Gothic times, Christian basilicas were small, with low vaults. And it is clear that in such rooms the soot from candles covered all objects with a thick layer. But if it can be washed from gold and silver, then it eats into porous wood tightly. This is how, over time, the wooden parts of this sculpture acquired their characteristic dark color.
Basilica. Inside view.
This place played a special role in the fate of one very famous person. His name was Ignatius de Loyola (1491-1556). And in his youth he was a dissolute reveler, and a drunkard, and almost a real atheist. But when he was 30 years old, he was badly wounded in the siege of Pamplona. Once in bed, out of boredom, he began to read spiritual literature and … it brought peace to his soul. Loyola was so impressed that he went to the holy places and the first thing he did was to visit Montserrat. And there, standing in front of the statue of the Mother of God, he spiritually received his sight, comprehended the truth and began to fight against the blossoming unbelief.
Ceiling.
However, neither the intercession of heaven nor the sanctity of the place saved the monastery when it was destroyed by French soldiers in 1811. What for? Yes, Napoleon simply believed that the Holy Grail - the Cup of Christ - was hidden on Montserrat, and decided, by the way, like Hitler later, to take possession of this relic, hoping that it would protect him. By the way, I did not know this fact from the life of Napoleon, and he greatly fell in my eyes. Well, you had to be so stupid, by God … Fortunately, the monks hid the statue of the Madonna in a safe place, and the godless French did not find it!
Organ.
For a long time, Spain had neither the strength nor the money to restore the monastery, and it began only in 1844. It began, but continued on donations from the Catalans and the fees of Benedictine monks for almost 100 years. And here's what is interesting, when General Franco came to power in the country in 1936, he banned all internal cultural differences in the country, including all languages except Spanish. But only within the walls of the restored Montserrat Cathedral, the service, and weddings, and funerals, and baptisms - everything was carried out in the native Catalan language. And even Franco could not do anything about it.
By the way, it is believed that his shrine, the Black Madonna, continues to fulfill the cherished desires of everyone who turns to her, regardless of whether they believe or not, or simply came here as tourists.
"Flight to Egypt". Stained glass window.
As for the way to see all this with your own eyes and test the power of the Madonna - is to go to Spain, to Barcelona, and go on an excursion to the Montserrat Monastery. If an organized excursion seems too expensive for you, then you can even go there by train. And you can get to the top by a special mountain train, funicular or just on foot.
"The Birth of Christ." Another stained glass window.
In Spain, electric trains are not quite ordinary. To Barcelona, they go on the surface of the earth, and almost silently, and on the way to the city they dive underground and turn into … metro trains and vice versa. So, the R5 Barcelona-Manresa line goes to Montserrat from the Barcelona-Plaça Espanya station, along which you have to go to the Monistrol de Montserrat station (in the carriage and the scoreboard flashes, and the announcer will announce the station!), Which is located at the very foot of Montserrat mountain. This will take 1 hour 10 minutes. The narrow-gauge train Cremallera de Montserra goes up the mountain from here, and to the monastery itself, and while you ride on it, you can see a lot of interesting things. On average, trains from Barcelona and narrow gauge trains run every hour, so you won't be late anyway.
These are the electric trains running on all branches in Barcelona and its environs.
You can take the same train to the Aeri de Montserrat station, and from it go up the Aeri de Montserrat cable car straight to the monastery in just 5 minutes.
To protect against falling stones, nets are hung in the most dangerous places.
There are not even one funiculars on Montserrat, but two: Funicular de Sant Joan and Funicular de Santa Cova. The first is the steepest funicular in Spain. It goes to the very top, from where the hiking trails in Montserrat Park begin. The second one can get to the Holy Cave, where, according to legend, the statue of the Black Madonna was found.
In the museum. Cult objects of high artistic value.
In the cathedral, everyone approaches her statue on a first come, first served basis and touches her hand. You cannot stand for a long time and hold on to it - a special worker is on duty nearby and he urges those who are too religious or slow. The Madonna statue is behind bulletproof glass, but it has a cutout just for her hand. People who held her hand say they felt divine energy emanating from her. But this is how anyone. To some, this is just a cool tree to the touch, but when you look at it, you involuntarily imagine millions of people passing by and millions of consciousnesses who have come into contact with this tree. And inevitably it seems - "What if there is something!" and the lips themselves whisper - "Give me … to my loved ones, to all people …!" Although, probably, you should ask on the contrary …
Here she is - "Black Madonna"! Ask and it will be given to you according to your faith!
