Montserrat 蒙特塞拉特山

 History
The sanctuary of the Virgin Mary of Montserrat, has its historical origins in the hermitage of Santa Maria, which Count Guifré el Pelós gave to the Monastery of Ripoll in the year 888.

In 1025, Oliba, Abbot of Ripoll and Bishop of Vic, founded a new monastery at the hermitage of Santa Maria de Montserrat. The little monastery soon began to receive pilgrims and visitors who contributed to the spread of stories of miracles and wonders performed by the Virgin.

In 1409 the monastery of Montserrat became an independent abbey. From 1493 to 1835, a period in which the monastery underwent great reforms, growing and increasing in splendour, Montserrat was part of the Valladolid Congregation.

During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the Monastery of Montserrat became a cultural centre of the first order. The Montserrat Music School produced important composers.

The French War (1808-1811) and disentailment in 1835 brought destruction and abandonment, but in 1844 began the restoration of monastic life and in 1881 there were the Festivities for the Coronation of the Image of Our Lady, at which She was proclaimed Patron Saint of Catalonia by Pope Leo XIII.

The Spanish Civil War (1936 - 1939) led once again to the abandonment of the monastery. However, the Government of Catalonia managed to save Montserrat from being sacked and destroyed.

Today, Montserrat has been modernised to continue attending to the needs to pilgrims one thousand years after it was originally founded.

蒙特塞拉特的历史
Montserrat（蒙特塞拉特）的历史是非常有趣的，其起源于880年，据说一群牧童看到一道光芒从天而降，落入Montserrat（蒙特塞拉特）山中。同时，牧童们听到天使歌唱，歌声萦绕心中且充满欢愉。
牧童们受到此震撼后慌忙跑回家，将此神奇经历讲述给其父母听。他们的父母怀疑此经历的真实性，但他们相信自己的孩子不会撒谎，因此他们赶到孩子们描述的地方以探究孩子们的所见所闻。

在首次查探后的一个月内，牧童父母们也同样体验了天堂般的感受并下定结论。此景象源于上帝的旨意。

一名当地牧师也被带到此处并见证了与孩子们和父母们一样的经历和感受。此景象发生在同一地方——Montserrat（蒙特塞拉特）山间的洞穴内。当聚居群落中的虔诚长者们进入探索此洞穴时，他们发现了一尊圣母玛利亚的影像。从那时起，此洞穴成为宗教朝圣者的圣地。

修道院教堂中的黑面圣母

今天，传说中神奇景象发生的地方已被标名为“神圣洞穴”。您可步行至神圣洞穴以亲眼目睹传说中故事发生的地方。神圣洞穴已被定为圣殿，并被来自全世界的朝圣者和看客们朝拜和参观。

Lady of Montserrat
The image of Our Lady of Montserrat, popularly known as La Moreneta (the Dark One), due to the dark colour of Her skin, is a truly beautiful 12th century Romanesque polychrome carving. Pope Leo XIII proclaimed Our Lady of Montserrat Patron Saint of Catalonia in 1881.
In 1947, the image was enthroned in a silver altarpiece, paid for by popular subscription and installed in the upper section of the basilica apse.

The black faced Madonna 

Artistically, the image imitates a popular model, that of Our Lady in Majesty, with a wholly frontal attitude and Baby Jesus on Her lap in the centre. Both Mother and Child are wearing crowns.
The figure of Our Lady stretches out Her right hand, which holds the globe, symbolising the cosmos. Our Lady nearly rests Her left hand on the Child’s shoulder, indicating that this omnipotent king is Her Son. With His right hand, the Child gives a blessing, whilst His left hand holds a pinecone, symbol of fertility and everlasting life.

這座聖山擁有神秘色彩，宗教故事聞名世界，據說在西元4世紀，已建造4座修道院，位於山腰上的聖母修道院便是其中之一，神聖的黑面聖母雕像經歷多次歷史上的大戰爭，仍然完整保存，19世紀拿破侖軍隊大舉入侵，雕像被修士暗藏在山中，也成功倖免於難。爾後聖母的神蹟透過修士與信眾的宣揚，逐漸聲名大噪，歷經幾世紀的翻修改建，聖母修道院恢復往日光環，成為加泰隆尼亞最具威望的修道院。

雕像莊嚴，黑面聖母卻散發著慈祥和藹的氣息，因釉藥產生化學變化，長年煙燻，使雕像的外觀呈現黑褐色。聖母的腿上坐著聖子耶穌基督，伸出的右手拿著象徵「宇宙」的圓球，來此朝聖的民眾皆相信，只要抱著虔誠的信念，望著聖母的面容並撫摸她右手拿著的球，能獲得祝福與平安，聖母顯靈無數，隊伍往往需排上半小時，才能一睹她的風采。

Montserrat（蒙特塞拉特）修道院的另一旅游亮点是聆听著名的教堂唱诗班男孩演奏Gregorian chants（格列高利圣咏）及其他的宗教合唱音乐。教堂中的唱诗班演奏在每日的 13:00 开始且免费，但圣诞节假日，七月及其他节假日除外。
Montserrat（蒙特塞拉特）音乐世界闻名，修道院唱诗班男孩们至今已经录制了超过100张合唱音乐唱片。