Monasterio de Montserrat
Key facts
- Type
- Monastery
- Religious order
- Benedictine
- Era
- 11th Century
- Architectural style
- Romanesque-Renaissance
- Founded
- 1025
- Current status
- Active
- Location
- Monistrol de Montserrat, Barcelona
- Province
- Barcelona
- Region
- Catalonia
Catalonia's most sacred site, perched high in bizarre serrated mountains. Home to the Black Virgin (La Moreneta) and the world-famous Escolania boys' choir, one of Europe's oldest.
History
Founded in 1025 by Abbot Oliba on a site with hermitages dating to the 9th century. The monastery grew around the venerated image of the Black Virgin, becoming Catalonia's spiritual heart. Destroyed by Napoleon's troops in 1811, it was rebuilt in the 19th and 20th centuries. During the Franco era, it became a bastion of Catalan cultural resistance.
Highlights
- Home of La Moreneta (Black Virgin)
- Escolania — oldest boys' choir in Europe
- Spectacular mountain setting
- Symbol of Catalan identity
- Major pilgrimage destination
More Monasteries in Catalonia
- Monasterio de Poblet — Cistercian, 12th Century. The greatest Cistercian monastery in Spain and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Royal pantheon of the Crown of Aragón, with magnificent Gothic cloisters and a fortified precinct.
- Monasterio de Santes Creus — Cistercian, 12th Century. One of three great Cistercian monasteries in Catalonia (the 'Cistercian Triangle'), with the finest Gothic cloister in Spain. Royal tombs of Peter III and James II lie in its magnificent church.
- Sant Pere de Rodes — Benedictine, 10th Century. A spectacularly sited Benedictine monastery perched on a mountaintop above the Cap de Creus peninsula, with panoramic views to the Mediterranean and the Pyrenees.
- Monasterio de Ripoll — Benedictine, 9th Century. Known as the 'cradle of Catalonia', its Romanesque portal — the 'Bible in Stone' — is one of the finest examples of medieval sculpture in Europe. Founded by Count Wilfred the Hairy.
Explore nearby: Catalonia guide · Barcelona province · Castles of Barcelona