Page 309 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

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. Basilica Facade VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Agapit Vallmitjana
sculpted Christ and Practical Information
the apostles on the Montserrat (Barcelona province).
basilica’s Neo- Tel 93-877 77 77.
Renaissance facade. ∑ montserratvisita.com
It was built in 1900 Basilica: Open 7am–8pm Mon–
to replace the Thu; 7am–6:45pm Sat, Sun & Aug.
Renaissance facade of 5 from 9am Mon–Sat, from
the original church, 9:30am Sun & religious hols. &
consecrated in 1592. Museum: Open 10am–5:45pm
Mon–Fri, 10am–6:45pm Sat &
Sun. & 8 7
. Black Virgin Transport
La Moreneta looks down from £ to Montserrat-Aeri, then cable
behind the altar, protected behind car; or to Montserrat-Cremallera,
glass. Her wooden orb protrudes then funicular. @ from Barcelona.
for pilgrims to touch.

Basilica Interior
The sanctuary in the domed
basilica is adorned by a richly
enameled altar and paintings
by Catalan artists.

KEY
1 Funicular to the holy site
of Santa Cova
2 Information Office
3 The museum holds 19th- and
20th-century Catalan paintings,
works by Picasso and Dalí, and many
The Virgin of Montserrat archaeological exhibits from West Asia.
The small wooden statue of La Moreneta 4 Gothic cloister
(“the dark one”) is the soul of Montserrat. It 5 The inner courtyard has a
is said to have been made by St. Luke and baptistry (1958), with sculptures
brought here by St. Peter in AD 50. Centuries by Charles Collet. Pilgrims may
later, the statue is believed to have been approach the Virgin through a
hidden from the Moors in the nearby Santa door to the right.
Cova (Holy Cave). Carbon dating suggests, 6 The rack railroad follows the
however, that the statue was carved around course of a historic railroad line
the 12th century. In 1881, Montserrat’s Black built in 1880.
Virgin became patroness of Catalonia.
7 Terminal for cable car from Aeri
The Black Virgin of Montserrat de Montserrat train station

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