Catalonia’s Mystic Mountain’s Millennial Secrets!

Monserrat’s peaks, swollen and serrated arsenic though sculpted by a capricious giant, person agelong doubled arsenic refuge, muse and crucible for Catalan belief identity. Tucked wrong those weathered folds lies a Benedictine monastery, founded a millennium agone and stubbornly intact contempt nan attentions of everyone from Napoleon to Franco.

Monserrat (“saw-toothed mountain”) is not only a celebrated girls’ sanction but, courtesy of a Catalan cleric advising Columbus, that of a Caribbean land too.

But nan existent communicative began successful nan ninth period pinch nan find of a woody effigy of nan Virgin Mary, known arsenic La Moreneta (‘the small acheronian one’), hidden successful a grotto.  When a bishop ordered its relocation to a much accessible site, nan statue became mysteriously heavier pinch each downward step. The pragmatic solution? To build a chapel connected nan spot, culminating successful nan monastery’s founding successful 1025.

Wars and governments attempted to unsettle nan place: nan Peninsular War shattered parts of nan monastery, later confiscations scattered its monks and nan Civil War inflicted further ruin. Montserrat moreover endured a surreal sojourn from Heinrich Himmler who, driven by a Wagnerian delusion, sought nan Holy Grail there, though miffed by nan monks’ deficiency of co-operation!

Three cardinal visitors get each twelvemonth for nan monastery’s vistas and nan ancient boys’ choir. But Monserrat’s millennial twelvemonth has seen its already-dazzling depository collection, gleaming pinch masterpieces from Monet to Caravaggio, spectacularly and unprecedentedly transformed. Enjoy!

Nora Johnson’s 14 critically acclaimed psychological suspense crime thrillers, including nan latest ‘The House of Secrets’ (www.nora-johnson.net) each disposable online astatine Amazon etc. Profits to Cudeca crab charity.