Because of the small statue, the chapel became a cathedral.

When the friar Bernat Boil accompanied Christopher Columbus to the New World, veneration of the Virgin spread throughout South America. It is said that an image of Our Lady of Montserrat appeared in a cave on the mountain. The monastery, located 20 km northwest of Barcelona, ​​was founded by Abbott Oliba in 1025, but there is evidence that a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary existed here as early as 888. The Romanesque cathedral was built in the 12th century and in 1223, the first singing school for boys in Europe was built there. Pope Leon XIII declared Our Lady of Montserrat the patron saint of Catalonia. In 1500, Saint Ignatius of Loyola made a pilgrimage here. #AprilDestinations2025 #SpainTravel #Catalonia