Montserrat … A sacred mountain for many Catalans … These rocks, bare, weathered for centuries and similar to the teeth of a huge unknown beast, have enjoyed special respect and veneration of local residents since pre-Christian times. But for the Catalans, born at the end of the twentieth century, Montserrat is not just a mountain. This is the heart of Catalonia itself.
"This is the most important thing that you should see while living in Spain!" - my friend from Barcelona persuaded me. It didn't take long to convince and now we're on our way. The distance from Barcelona to Montserrat is about forty kilometers. You can get there in 4 ways: by car (a parking lot was made at the foot of the mountain not so long ago), by train and cremaer (funicular), by train (car) and aerial cable car, and the most extreme - on foot. The latter method is still often used by pilgrims and deeply religious people. In a difficult life situation, people ask for help from VirgenNegra, the patroness of Catalonia, whose image is in the Montserrat monastery, and in return they promise to walk to the top. We choose the most democratic way - the train. By the way, in this case only the FGC-railway network of Catalonia is suitable, and not Renfe.
Montserrat can be seen from afar. Surrounded by less high mountains, it rises like a large tooth (later, from a closer distance, one large tooth can be divided into many small ones). The sun may be below, and clouds and fog may be on top. At the bottom there are people who are growing and building something (they are building a lot of houses at the foot of the mountain, but everything is very expensive), but at the top there is calmness, fresh air and … a lot of tourists. Too much to feel the heart of Catalonia beating.
But we still have to get to the top. The funicular was created in the century before last. In the middle of the past, it caused several major accidents and was closed. With the beginning of the tourist boom and after a major overhaul, or, more simply, a major overhaul, he resumed work, although many elderly people remembering the past are afraid to get into the trailer. But in vain. Its window offers breathtaking views. From a bird's eye view, the freeways and houses below seem like toys. Then we enter the cloud and nothing else is visible.
In the past from the funicular station we go up on an escolator. The square, the first of the three, buzzes like a beehive before you get into the monastery courtyard. Shops and cafes are attributes that accompany any tourism project; they do business at the Catalan shrine. I don’t know how true believers feel here, surrounded by hundreds of sold Black Madonnas, postcards with views of the monastery and the surrounding area, sweets, T-shirts like “I love Montserrat”. By the way, since we are talking about trade, they sell very tasty cheese here, although it seems that Jesus also asked people not to trade at the door of the temple …
But here is the monastery. Construction work is going on in the alley opposite him. Cyclists are passing through the square. The three-star hotel "Abat Cisneros" invites you to stay overnight. It's hard to believe that in 2025 the monastery will celebrate its millennium. Without going into religious details, in which neither I nor my friend are strong, I can only say that the monastery is famous not only for its age, but also for the boys' choir. It's a pity we couldn't listen to him. They also say that countless treasures are kept in the monastery basements - millennial gifts and donations from wealthy believers. But we didn't see the treasure either, so I can't vouch for the reliability of the rumors.
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There is a queue at the entrance to the temple. People move one after another, slowly approaching the statue of the Patroness of Catalonia, VirgenNegra, to touch the clothes and kiss her hand. Candles are burning under the arches. Hundreds of small living lights, hundreds of requests, hopes and thanksgiving.
Most non-Catalans believe that Montserrat is a monastery. The monastery, of course, it is, but … Have you forgotten that Montserrat is not just a mountain? It is also a national nature park, the status of which was assigned to the area in 1987 in order to preserve the unique landscape, flora and fauna. There are dozens of hiking trails. It is an excellent natural climbers training machine. It is a cultural and religious center, the center of the struggle to preserve the language and culture of Catalonia during the Franco era. This is the place that gave the world the beautiful female name Montserrat, not known all over the world thanks to the opera diva Montserrat Caballe. This is, after all, a myth, sung in legends and songs, which has delighted hundreds of legends, giving people hope and faith in miracles.
Now I know that it is best to arrive in Montserrat early in the morning. When droplets of clouds are still yeaving on the leaves, the paths are wet and no one will push you with a backpack down the serpentine road leading from the first monastery square down to Santa Cueva, the sacred cave where the patroness of Catalonia "lives".
Yes, this is where the real Virgen Negra Patronade Cataluña Black Madonna is located. She was found in a cave on the mountain in 880, after which a chapel was built on this site. “Many times the Black Madonna was carried by the priests to the monastery church, which is located higher on the mountain, but she always returned to this cave. This is her home,”says my friend. Remembering the crowds of idle travelers that fill the monastery courtyard - the main tourist point of all excursions, I understand why Virgen Negra returns to this cave.
It's quiet here. Only on the chairs opposite the Madonna are several women sitting. There are many flowers on the floor near her. And in the next room there are even more different objects on the table. Baby clothes, motorcycle helmet, toys, veil and wedding dresses. These are all thanksgiving. As popular rumor has it, the Black Madonna helps girls find a mate and create a happy family. In the middle of the last century, after the wedding, the newlyweds always came to Montserrat and, as a token of gratitude, the bride left her wedding bouquet here. This tradition reminded me of the laying of flowers by the newlyweds at the Eternal Flame in Soviet Russia. Each nation has its own traditions.
Catalans really do have a lot of reverence for their Saint. “Wherever I am, my heart is always here,” the elderly gentleman says, and he has tears in his eyes. This is probably the real faith. As it turned out, the images of the Black Madonna sold in the square are not perceived by the Catalans as kitsch aimed at tourists. Paintings and Figurines There are patrons in almost every family. Even Christopher Columbus, returning to Spain after the discovery of America, the first thing he did was to go to Montserrat to pay his respects to Virgen Negra.
On April 27, Saint Montserrat's Day, many people climb the mountain on foot to meet the dawn. They say this is an unforgettable sight.
Well, it's time for us to go down. It is impossible to see the whole of Montserrat in one day, let alone the two-hour excursions usually offered by travel agencies to our compatriots! The mountain is truly mesmerizing. I would like to come back here again to walk with a backpack along the rocky paths and look into the gorges, listen to the boys' choir or take to the air in a suspended booth. "It's only after two bottles of cava!" My friend said flatly. Well, on foot, on foot. There are still many beautiful and still unknown places in Catalonia …