La Santa Cova de Montserrat — El lugar sagrado
Montserrat, Barcelona, Spain · 9th century
The Holy Cova is the cave where, according to tradition, the pastors found the image of the Virgin in 880. It is the most sacred place in Montserrat and the destiny of the pilgrimage.
The legend
According to tradition, in 880, some herding children saw a bright light in a cave in Montserrat mountain. As they approached, they found a wooden image of the Virgin Mary. The image was sitting with the Child on his lap.
The shepherds told what they had seen, and the people came to venerate the image. The news spread throughout Catalonia, and the cave became a place of pilgrimage.
«En esta cueva, la Virgen eligió su morada. Aquí ella quiere ser encontrada por sus hijos.»
- Tradition of MontserratThe Holy Cova today
The Santa Cova is located on the mountain slope, about 200 meters above the monastery. It is accessed by a path that crosses the forest, or by the funicular of Santa Cova.
Inside the cave is a chapel with a replica of the original image of the Virgin. The original image is located on the main altar of the monastery basilica.
The road of the Holy Cova
The Santa Cova road is a 1,200-meter path that crosses the mountain forest. It is decorated with fifteen chapels representing the mysteries of the Rosary, built in the 17th century.
Each chapel has a wood sculpture that represents a mystery: the joyful, the painful and the glorious. The road is an experience of contemplative prayer, ideal for praying the Rosary as it rises to the cave.
The pilgrimage
Cada año, millones de peregrinos suben a la Santa Cova para venerar la imagen de la Virgen. La peregrinación más conocida es la del «Día de la Moreneta» (27 de abril), cuando miles de personas suben a pie desde Barcelona hasta Montserrat.
«Subir a la Santa Cova es una experiencia transformadora. En el camino, la Virgen nos acompaña con su amor.»
- Pilgrim of Montserrat