A Visit To Santa Maria de Montserrat, Spain

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Yesterday afternoon, my husband and I picked up our car in Barcelona and headed to Santa Maria de Montserrat, a Benedictine abbey and and its spectacular basilica built against the background of Montserrat, or serrated mountain, an unusual limestone formation eroded over time by wind and rain that creates a wondrous scenery.

The abbey was built against Monserrat's highest point, Sant Jeroni, which rises 1,236 meters or 4,055 feet above sea level. The abbey offers spectacular views of Catalunya below.

The Monastery of  Montserrat was founded in 1025 to honor and commemorate numerous visions of the Virgin Mary. Today, it houses about 80 monks. The abbey draws many pilgrims who come to honor the the Black Virgin, a 12th-century wooden sculpture of Mary.

Monterrat is definitely worth a visit.