Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Borneo orangutan
Malaysia • 12 days, 11 nights
Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest
from
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Phono Museum features decades of different sound technology.
Phono Museum Paris
“Sleeping Figure” stretches 150 feet end to end.
‘Sleeping Figure’
The Barnard’s Inn building, home to Gresham College.
Gresham College
The Hell’s Gate Airtram gondola and footbridge.
Hell’s Gate, British Columbia
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Ivan the Terra Bus
The Bus, the Myth, the Legend: Ivan the Terra Bus
about 7 hours ago
Pigeons were included in a series of 1891 illustrations entitled “Household Pets.”
What Makes a Pest a Pest?
1 day ago
Burros Alfa and Beto, seen here with Luis Soriano in 2008, have been helping the teacher deliver books for more than 20 years.
How One Man and His ‘Biblioburro’ Spreads Literacy in Rural Colombia
3 days ago
Price Tower
What Happened to Price Tower, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Only Skyscraper?
4 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Spain Monistrol de Montserrat Santa Cova of Montserrat

Santa Cova of Montserrat

Holy Grotto of Montserrat Monastery holds one of Europe's mysterious black Madonnas.

Monistrol de Montserrat, Spain

Added By
treeswithknees
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Entrance to the chapel - Photo by Treeswithknees   treeswithknees / Atlas Obscura User
Entrance to the chapel - Photo by Treeswithknees   treeswithknees / Atlas Obscura User
The Chapel built into the grotto of Montserrat   http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:San...
Inside the grotto - Photo by Treeswithknees   treeswithknees / Atlas Obscura User
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_of_Mon...
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/sercomi/46743...
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/azriel100/354...
Up in the clouds   EndorasList / Atlas Obscura User
Ceiling   EndorasList / Atlas Obscura User
The Saints   EndorasList / Atlas Obscura User
Statues   EndorasList / Atlas Obscura User
9/28/2023   mmwoodrufff / Atlas Obscura User
9/27/2023   mmwoodrufff / Atlas Obscura User
9/27/2023   mmwoodrufff / Atlas Obscura User
9/27/2023   mmwoodrufff / Atlas Obscura User
9/27/2023   mmwoodrufff / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Modestly cradled into the side of a steep mountain lies one of the most venerated shrines in Spain: The Santa Cova of Montserrat.

Carved by St. Luke around 50 AD, the Black Virgin of Montserrat (one of the semi-mysterious black Madonnas, where Mary has dark or black skin, of Europe) was brought to Spain and hidden in the Santa Cova cave from the Moors. Based on a legend dating back to text from 1239, the image of Our Lady of Montserrat was rediscovered in the cave in 880.

On a Saturday at dusk, shepherd children noticed a "great light" fall from the sky accompanied by a "beautiful song" in the mountains. This repeated for a few subsequent Saturdays until finally the Bishop of Manresa and others took a trip into the mountains and discovered the image of the Virgin Mary in a cave. Though small, the statue could not be lifted and they considered this a divine intervention. Thus the image stayed and has been worshiped in Montserrat ever since.

It is possible to visit the grotto as well as the chapel that has been built into it. The chapel dates back to 1696 and was constructed directly into the mountain itself. Aside from centuries of battle-scars of woes past, such as Napoleonic Wars, mudslides, and forest fires, the chapel is still standing today thanks to a restoration completed in 1997. Each year thousands of visitors come to pray and worship.

Upon visiting it is important to respect the motto of "Pray and be silent."

Related Tags

Statues Sacred Spaces

Know Before You Go

Santa Cova does not sit directly next to Montserrat Monastery, it is further back down Montserrat Mountain. It can be accessed by hiking or taking a funicular part way and walking the rest.

Community Contributors

Added By

treeswithknees

Edited By

vturiserra, lesliek, EndorasList, mmwoodrufff

  • vturiserra
  • lesliek
  • EndorasList
  • mmwoodrufff

Published

September 16, 2010

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.montserratvisita.com
  • http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/montserrattg/en/attractions/santa-cova-montserrat.html
  • http://www.sacred-destinations.com/spain/montserrat-shrine
Santa Cova of Montserrat
08199 Montserrat
Monistrol de Montserrat, 08293
Spain
41.588091, 1.844324
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Les Arnaules Prehistoric Bridge

Manresa, Spain

miles away

Temple dels Homes

Piera, Spain

miles away

Masia Freixa

Terrassa, Spain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Spain

Spain

Europe

Places 757
Stories 38

Nearby Places

Les Arnaules Prehistoric Bridge

Manresa, Spain

miles away

Temple dels Homes

Piera, Spain

miles away

Masia Freixa

Terrassa, Spain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Spain

Spain

Europe

Places 757
Stories 38

Related Places

  • Kyoto, Japan

    Gokōshiyui Amidabutsu

    This statue of Buddha has a distinctive hairstyle meant to represent an unfathomably long period of meditation.

  • Kailashnath Mahadev

    Sanga, Nepal

    Kailashnath Mahadev Statue

    Nepal is home to the world’s tallest Shiva statue.

  • The Bamberg Horseman, 2008.

    Bamberg, Germany

    Bamberg Horseman

    Art historians have debated the identity of this medieval stone rider since the 19th century.

  • The sculpture was created by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1670.

    Vatican City

    'The Vision of Constantine'

    This equestrian statue of Constantine the Great has been the subject of criticism for centuries.

  • Enlightened Heart Tibetan Buddhist Temple in the Kinta valley.

    Tambun, Malaysia

    Enlightened Heart Buddhist Temple

    On the outskirts of Ipoh, this sprawling temple complex is home to one of the world's tallest pagodas.

  • The face of the Buddha.

    Tokyo, Japan

    Ueno Daibutsu

    Only the face remains of this giant Buddha statue, which is said to be a source of luck for students.

  • Santuario del Cristo Roto

    San José de Gracia, Mexico

    Santuario del Cristo Roto (Sanctuary of the Broken Christ)

    On a picturesque lake island, a massive, “broken” crucifixion has become a popular pilgrimage destination.

  • Statue of Cardinal Wolsey

    Ipswich, England

    Cardinal Wolsey Statue

    A surprisingly approachable statue of the man who dominated King Henry VIII's government.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.