Virgin of Montserrat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Virgin of Montserrat“La Moreneta” |
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Our Lady of Montserrat
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| Our Lady of Montserrat Patroness of Catalonia |
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| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Major shrine | Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey, Catalonia, Spain |
| Attributes | Statue painted in polychrome of Mary with a baby seated on the Throne of Wisdom holding an orb of the earth in her right hand |
| Patronage | Catalonia |
Our Lady of Montserrat is a special statue of Mary and baby Jesus. People also call her the Virgin of Montserrat or La Moreneta. This name means "the little dark-skinned one" in Catalan. The statue is kept at the Santa Maria de Montserrat monastery in Catalonia, Spain.
She is a very important Patron Saint for Catalonia. She shares this honor with Saint George, known as Sant Jordi there. Many people believe that miracles have happened because of this statue. In 1881, Pope Leo XIII gave the statue a special honor called a Canonical coronation. This shows how important she is to the Roman Catholic Church.
The statue is one of Europe's famous Black Madonnas. Some people thought it was carved in Jerusalem a long time ago. But experts now believe it is a Romanesque wooden sculpture from the late 1100s.
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Discovering Our Lady of Montserrat
The Montserrat mountain has been a special place for a very long time. Even before Christianity, the Romans built a temple there. They honored the Roman goddess Venus on this mountain.
One story says the statue of Mary was moved to Montserrat in 718. This was done to keep it safe from invading Saracens.
A legend tells that Benedictine monks tried to move the statue. They wanted to build their monastery in a different spot. But they could not move the statue at all! So, they decided to build the monastery around it instead. The statue's special home is now at the back of the chapel. It has a beautiful gold altar around it. Many people visit this spot on a pilgrimage.
What the Statue Looks Like
The statue is about 95 centimeters (38 inches) tall. It shows Mary holding baby Jesus. The statue is painted in many colors, which is called polychrome. It has a style that looks like art from the Byzantine times.
Mary is sitting in a pose called "Throne of Wisdom". This means she is like a throne for Jesus, who is seen as wisdom. Her body is thin, and her face is long. She holds a globe of the Earth in her right hand. Baby Jesus has his hand raised in a traditional blessing.
In 2001, people working on the statue noticed something interesting. The black color of Mary's hands and face had changed over time. They think this happened because of candle smoke or a special varnish. The statue was repainted black many times by people who restored it. Tests like X-rays showed the statue's first color. They also showed the last time it was repainted was around the 1700s.
People Who Honored Her
Many important people have visited Our Lady of Montserrat. Around 1203, a man named Peter Nolasco visited the statue. After his visit, he went to Barcelona. There, he started helping Christians who were captured by Moorish raiders. He later started a religious group called the Mercedarians. Their goal was to help these people.
Ignatius of Loyola also visited the monastery in 1522. He had been hurt in battle. At Montserrat, he left his military gear in front of the statue. He then spent time living a simple, strict life. Later, he went on to start the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits.
A special song called "el Virolai" is sung to the Virgin of Montserrat. The Escolania de Montserrat boys' choir sings it every day at noon. The song starts with "Rosa d’abril, Morena de la serra..." This means "Rose of April, dark-skinned lady of the mountain..." Because of this song, she is sometimes called the "Rosa d'abril." Her special day is April 27.
Patron Saint of Catalonia
The statue of "La Moreneta" has always been very important in Spain. She is one of the two patron saints of Catalonia. The other patron saint is Sant Jordi (Saint George).
The Name Montserrat
The name Montserrat is a popular girl's name in Catalonia. People often shorten it to Serrat, Rat, Rateta, Tat, Tóna, or Montse.
See also
In Spanish: Virgen de Montserrat para niños
