The Benedictine monastery was founded on a narrow mountain terrace at an altitude of 725 metres in the 9th century. metres in the ninth century. Under Abbot Oliva in the eleventh century, the monastery was substantially enlarged. In 1811, during the Napoleonic War, the monastery was severely destroyed, but in 1844 it was rebuilt and is now active. 1844 it was rebuilt and is still an active monastery today.
The Monastery of Monserrat is the main sanctuary of Catalonia, a place of pilgrimage for Christians from all over the world. It houses an image of the patron saint of Catalonia, La Moreneta. La Moreneta, a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary and Child. According to legend, the statue was carved by the apostle Luke, and the apostle Peter brought it to Spain in the year 50. Scholars date the statue the statue to the 12th century.
Santa Maria Square faces the facade of the cathedral of the monastery. The walls of the cathedral have survived since the 16th century, and the neo-Renaissance façade, decorated with sculptures, was was erected in 1900. The opulent interior of the temple was painted by Catalan artists. The altar is decorated with bright enamel. In a glassed-in chapel behind the altar. a sacred statue of the Virgin Mary. Every day at one o'clock in the afternoon, a choir of boys sings in the church, which is believed to be the oldest in Europe.
The choir is the oldest in Europe.The Piazza Santa Maria is flanked by Gothic galleries, which houses the monastery's museum - Monastery Museum, a collection of artworks including paintings by El Greco, Picasso and Dali.
A funicular railway connects the monastery with the caves, hermitages and chapels located in the neighbourhood of the monastery.
