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For all the bad weather that I endured in Madrid earlier on, today’s weather at the top of Montserrat almost made up. The lighting and clarity was optimal for some great pictures.
One of the highlights from the Monastery is the spectacular vista, especially since everything around Montserrat is so flat.
One of the highlights of any visit to Montserrat is the Basilica and a visit to the Black Madonna. It is very popular among Catalans, and Catholic pilgrims come from far and wide to see the Black Madonna and the wonderful detail within the church.
It is one of the black Madonnas of Europe, hence its familiar Catalan name, la Moreneta (“The little dark-skinned one”). Believed by some to have been carved in Jerusalem in the early days of the church, it is a Romanesque sculpture in wood from the late 12th century. Legend has it that the Benedictine monks could not move the statue to construct their monastery, choosing to instead build around it. The statue’s sanctuary is located at the rear of the chapel, where an altar of gold surrounds the icon, and is now a site of pilgrimage.
The back of the Madonna is another chapel.
The detailing within the Basilica and outside of it, is a testament to Old World craftsmanship.
