In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast we’ll be talking about Montserrat in Catalonia, Spain, a spectacular mountain range not far from Barcelona. Montserrat was “Montserrat” literally means “serrated mountain” in Catalan, and the name accurately describes its bizarre and unique aspect with a multitude of jagged rock formations that are visible from a great distance. This spot is best known today for the Benedictine Monastery Santa Maria de Montserrat, located about 45 km northwest of Barcelona, and the the statue of the Virgin Mary within that lends its name to the monastery, which has its own unique story to tell. Montserrat has been of significance for centuries, bearing witness to Catalan and Spanish history from its lofty mount and even becoming entwined in some of the most decisive conflicts to have swept across the Iberian Peninsula since the Monastery was founded in 1025, including the Napeolonic wars and the brutal fighting pre and post the Spanish Civil War. In terms of poulation, there are less than 100 monks who make their permanent home here, but up to two million tourists flock here each year to scale the mountain and take in the history and legacy of the monastery, including quite recently, two of the co-hosts of this episode.
Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Dublin, Ireland and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Dublin, Ireland, joined in this epiosde by John Killeen in Hastings, UK. Our theme music and other stings come from Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella.
Some further reading material is provided below:
- The official Montserrat website has plenty of useful info on this place.
- More info on the geology and formation of the Giants of Montserrat
- The monastery’s website also has some extensive early history.
- Another official website is that of the Escolania Choir, based at Montserrat.
- ForeverBarcelona asks — Who is the Black Madonna Our Lady of Montserrat?
- Want to know more about those hermits? Hermitary.com (who knew?) has you covered.
- The story of the drummer boy is detailed (in Spanish and Catalan) on the Barcelona Unviersity website.
- You can also learn more about the Peninsular War here at the National Army Museum.
- Learn more about the rise of Franco on the Real Dictators podcast.
- For more on the failure of catalanist opposition to Franco see this paper.
- A historical video of the relogious ceremonies at Montserrat is here on archive.org
- Also on archive.org — the first visit by a Pope to Montserrat, as well as his homily.
Music includes:
- Virolai, the Catalan Anthemm performed by Escolania de Montserrat
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