Virgin of Montserrat
Virgin of Montserrat “La Moreneta” Throne of Wisdom holding an orb of the earth in her right hand[2] | |
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Patronage | Catalonia |
Our Lady of Montserrat or the Virgin of Montserrat (
Pope Leo XIII granted the image a canonical coronation on 11 September 1881. The image is one of the Black Madonnas of Europe, hence its familiar Catalan name, La Moreneta ("the little dark-skinned one" or "the little dark one"). Believed by some to have been carved in Jerusalem in the early days of the Church, it is more likely a Romanesque sculpture in wood from the late 12th century.[8]
An 18th-century polychromed statue of the same image is also displayed in
History
The mountain of Montserrat has been of religious significance since pre-Christian times, when the Romans built a temple to honor the Roman goddess Venus.[9]
By one account, the image of the Madonna was moved to Montserrat in 718, to avoid the danger posed by invading
Legend has it that the
Description
The 95-cm (38-inch) statue shows evidence of Byzantine conventional and stylized form, and is painted in
In 2001, renovators working for the government observed that the black hands and face of La Moreneta had over the centuries undergone a change in colour. They attribute the change—from a lighter tone to black—either to prolonged exposure to candle smoke or a chemical reaction caused by a varnish used as a paint sealant. The statue was repainted black by successive generations of restorers. A series of tests, including X-rays, revealed the statue's original colour and also showed that the last repainting took place at the turn of the 18th century.[11]
Veneration
After making a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Montserrat around 1203, Peter Nolasco went to Barcelona where he began to practice various works of charity. Nolasco became concerned with the plight of Christians captured in Moorish raids and decided to establish the Merecedarians, a religious order to succor these unfortunates.
Upon his recovery from battle wounds,
The
Patronage
The statue has always been considered one of the most celebrated images in Spain. "La Moreneta" is one of Catalonia's two patron saints, together with
Given name
The name Montserrat, traditionally abbreviated to Serrat, Rat, Rateta, Tat or Tóna, and also to Montse in recent years, is a popular girl's name in Catalonia.[14][15][16][17]
References
- ^ "The Mystery of Montserrat: A Sacred Mountain of Christianity". Catholic Exchange. 12 November 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ a b Roccosalvo C.S.J., Joan L. (Spring 2012). "Elegance Personified: The Black Madonna of Montserrat". Sacred Architecture Journal.
- Patron Saint of Catalonia by Pope Leo XIIIin 1881.
- ^ "The Feast", under "Spirituality", on the official Montserrat Monastery website (in Catalan, Spanish and English).
- Catalan Government's website (in Catalan, Spanish and English).
- ^ "Els Patrons de Catalunya", Archdiocese of Barcelona (text in Catalan).
- ^ "A Real-Life Miracle on Spain's Montserrat Mountain". City Wonders.
- ISBN 174179000X
- ^ "Montserrat monastery", Barcelona
- ^ a b Duricy, Michael P., "Black Madonnas: Our Lady of Montserrat", Marian Library, University of Dayton
- ^ a b Wilkinson, Isambard (13 April 2001). "Montserrat Black Virgin 'was white originally'". The Telegraph.
- ^ Escolania de Montserrat – El Virolai
- ^ "Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter - April 27, 2016 - Liturgical Calendar".
- ^ Ruaix, Josep. Català Complet 3. Curs superior de llengua, Editorial Claret, 1998, p. 23-26 (in Catalan)
- ^ "De Rats i Tats", Núria Puyuelo, El Punt / Avui, 2 May 2014 (in Catalan) [consulted 7 April 2015]
- ^ Soler, Sílvia (29 June 2013). "Montserrat". Ara.cat (in Catalan). Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
- ^ "Catalanot II. Noves tendències en la tradició catalana d'escurçar els noms de font", Melancholia, 21 November 2010 (in Catalan) [consulted 7 April 2015]
External links
- Media related to Virgin of Montserrat at Wikimedia Commons