Montserrat National Park
Montserrat National Park is the first national park in Spain. It is located 50 km northwest of Barcelona in the Spanish region of Catalonia. In this area there is a jagged mountain of the same name, whose rounded boulders are lined up next to each other at a short distance. It is named after an unusual mountain towering over the park territory, looking at it from afar, it seems that huge rounded stones are neatly superimposed on each other.
In 1987, the natural complex adjacent to the monastery was declared a national park of Catalonia. The local landscape is mostly represented by slightly strange stone cliffs, ruined monasteries and crowds of tourists who came to see it all mainly from the nearby Costa Brava.
The monastery, located at an altitude of 725 m above sea level, got its name from the mountainous area of Montserrat ("Cut Mountains"), 50 km northwest of Barcelona, where thousands of limestone rocks of bizarre shapes rise in a small space. Human imagination has given individual rocks equally entertaining names: Mummy, Bishop's Belly, Elephant's Trunk, Bernard's Horse. The rich flora of this corner of nature covers more than one and a half thousand species. Decorated with sculptural works and majolica, the well-groomed mountain trails of this open-air museum, which entangle the surroundings of the monastery, are equipped with signs indicating the length and difficulty of the route and are popular for walks among both tourists and locals. The monastery has a well-developed tourist infrastructure. A cable car has been installed to the Montserrat Monastery. The Cremallera de Montserrat gear railway has been operating since 2003.
The first mention of the Montserrat monastery dates back to 880. In the 9th century, there were four monasteries here, one of which was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. In 1025, a Romanesque-style Benedictine monastery was founded here. By the 12th century, the modern architectural ensemble of the monastery had developed. During his second voyage, Christopher Columbus named an island in the archipelago of the Lesser Antilles, now a British colony, after the Montserrat Monastery. In 1522, Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit Order, made a pilgrimage to Montserrat. In 1592, a new cathedral was consecrated, built in the Renaissance style with Gothic elements. The cathedral was notable for its large size, especially considering that it was located on a rocky cliff. In 1811, the monastery was set on fire and destroyed by Napoleon's troops. Only the Romanesque portal of the cathedral and the remains of the Gothic cloister have survived from the original buildings of the monastery. For some time the Benedictine monastery was in ruins and desolation. In 1844, with the support of the Benedictine community and the Catalan population, the restoration of the monastery began, which took about a hundred years. In the 20th century, Montserrat became the most tangible symbol of Catalonia and a pillar in a difficult time in its history. During the Franco dictatorship, services and weddings were held only within the walls of Montserrat Cathedral in the then-banned Catalan language.
The Benedictine Order has been serving in Montserrat for over a thousand years. Currently, about 80 monks live in the monastery. The monks are responsible for the direct reception and service of pilgrims arriving in Montserrat. There is a monastic hotel and a building with cells on the territory of the monastery for pilgrims. In their free time, the monks engage in creative activities and also produce their own natural products: wine, liqueurs, cakes, honey, cottage cheese, nuts.
Currently, the Montserrat Monastery is a Benedictine church, and it houses an extremely rich and valuable art collection. There are treasures from Egypt and the Middle East among the exhibits. In addition, there are religious masterpieces by El Greco, Surbaran, Caravaggio and Picasso. There are hiking trails in the park. The signs provide detailed information about the route, its duration and difficulty.
