The mountain and the Benedictine monastery of Montserrat, which was founded in the 11th century, stand in a 60km Natural Park to the west of Barcelona. The patron saint of Catalonia, Santa Maria de Montserrat, is venerated in the Sanctuary. The Benedictine community, currently made up of about eighty monks, has served the sanctuary for almost a thousand years. It is largely dedicated to prayer, research, teaching and welcoming pilgrims, making the site a place for meeting, prayer and culture.
As well as the monks, at Montserrat there is also the Escolania, the oldest boys\' choir in Europe, which sings the Salve and Virolai every day, as well as a motet after vespers.
Montserrat Museum
The collection of modern paintings and sculptures is one of the best in the country and includes works by artists like Picasso, Dalí, Monet, Sisley, Degas and others: there are also works from the 13th to the 18th centuries (Berruguete, Morales, El Greco, Caravaggio, Luca Giordano and Tiepolo). There are objects representing the cultures of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Cyprus and the Holy Land, a set of liturgical objects from the 15th to the 20th century forming a good example of the development of artistic styles and techniques in precious metal working.
“Inside Montserrat” Audiovisual Space
This new space shows the most representative spaces in the monastery and the services and activities that the monks carry out inside it. It also offers visitors the chance to discover the patterns of life and organisation of the Montserrat Benedictine community.
Montserrat
