Sanctuary of Montserrat (Santuari de Montserrat)

Santa Maria de Montserrat is a benedictine monastery located at the top of Montserrat mountain (720m above sea level). It is a Catalan symbol and it has become a point of pilgrimage. The origin of the monastery is uncertain, but the legend tell that it was around 880. At the beginning of the 19th century the abbey was twice burned down and sacked by Napoleon’s troops, in 1811 and in 1812, and many of its treasures were lost. In 1835, the abbey was closed until restoration in 1844. In 1880 Montserrat celebrated 1000 years of existence and on 11 September 1881, to coincide with the Catalan national day Pope Leo XIII proclaimed the Virgin of Montserrat patron of Catalonia.