Santa Marija of the mountains

The stunning scenery of Montserrat lies 40 kilometres from the Catalonian capital of Barcelona. Literally translated from Catalonian it means ‘serrated mountain’, as the natural rock formations appear as though a giant has sawn out chunks of rock.

The spiritual, nature-loving Antoni Gaudi was a frequent visitor. As he watched lizards lazing in the sun, he drew inspiration for his many amazing architectural creations that Barcelona is so famous for.

The famous Sagrada Familia is almost a carbon copy of the clusters of pinnacle rocks that are silhouetted against the skyline. Approximately 10km long by 5km wide, the rocks are unmissable.

I was visiting this pilgrimage site with Barcelona Guide Bureau with a small group of 20. Look out for orange umbrellas in Placa Catalunya in the heart of Barcelona and join one the groups.

Our English-speaking guide on the 40-minute drive alongside the River Llobregat and through the countryside filled us in with details of life in Catalonia, home to proud and devoted people.

As we climbed the mountain in the comfort of our coach, I thought of the many pilgrims that had at least once walked the steep winding way to the 725-metre-high sanctuary.

The coach arrived at the visitors’ centre, where I marvelled at the landscape sweeping north to the snow-capped Pyrenees, defining the Spanish border with France and Andorra.

Over a steep cliff lay the original cave where local shepherds had found the statue of Our Lady, led there by a glowing light. Carrying the wooden statue to their village for safekeeping, it became heavier and heavier and they decided it was her way of saying ‘this is where I want to be, on the mountain’.

And she got her wish. A chapel home was built for her and so began the story of Our Lady here. A Benedictine Santa Marija hermitage was then created for the many pilgrims that came for her healing and fertility blessings.

In 1025, the first abbot, Oliba Cabrete, was installed by the monks from Ripoll.

Throughout the Middle Ages, pilgrim numbers grew and a larger chapel was built – the 12-century wall is still visible in the atrium of the basilica.

My guide and I visited the sanctuary of The Virgin of Montserrat – La Moreneta (‘The Little Black Lady’), where she sits resplendent in black and gold. It is not a large statue, perhaps 1.5 metres high, but it exuded a powerful presence.

Even though it is shielded by glass for protection, I was able to touch her hand for good luck. From its lofty position, you can gaze at the full length of the basilica.

Years passed before Napoleon’s army destroyed the shrine in 1812, but local people had buried the statue in the mountain for safekeeping and managed to recover it safely. And so the Black Madonna’s fame grew even more.

The Spanish civil war saw many monks murdered but there is still a thriving community of 80 Benedictines. Forty-five are at Montserrat. The others are in Rome and at two dependent houses – El Miracle in Salsona and St Miguel de Aixa.

The monastery’s music school has one of the oldest boys’ choirs in Europe, dating from the 14th century. The boys spend eight years in the school until their voices break.

I was privileged to have been invited into the monastery, and the public relations officers, Òscar Bardají and Montserrat Suarez, introduced me to Brother Gabriel, the second youngest of the 80 Benedictine monks. The youngest is just 22, and at 94 years, Father Odilo is the oldest.

As we sat and chatted, Brother Gabriel said he had not been especially religious as a boy. Hailing from a nearby town, he studied at Barcelona University and slowly began to consider joining the Benedictines.

On finishing his studies, he entered the seven-year formation process to become a monk, knowing he could leave if it was not for him. He spent two years as a novice before carrying out simple work for a further three.

In the sixth year, Brother Gabriel decided he was certain that he wanted to become a monk and he was welcomed into the community after a vote. He chose Montserrat as his home as it is renowned for its culture and pastoral activities.

Brother Gabriel enjoys meeting pilgrims and tourists alike, specialising in pastoral work. He is also known as the rather alarming ‘rat of the books’, as he spends many hours in the famous library translating ancient Latin into Spanish. In English, we would probably call him the much more pleasant-sounding ‘bookworm’.

With over 300,000 books, he has his work cut out for him. Nevertheless, he enjoys his life of service to others and the monastery gives him peace and balance to his life.

It was time to bid my farewells and rejoin the guide bus for the journey back to Barcelona. The coach took the northern route home and I marvelled at the natural creation of Montserrat.

This is a truly spiritual place and perhaps next time I will stay in one of the rooms that are available for rent within the monastery area.

The national park is well worth visiting and Carmen from the Barcelona Guide Bureau said it is their most popular four-hour tour – on par with the Gaudi tour.

If you are visiting Barcelona you must find time for Montserrat.