Catalonia - Art and Culture 2018

Hermitages, cathedrals, and monasteries safeguard a million fascinating secrets. Why not let an expert tell you about them? Catalonia Sacra: discover ITS religious heritage

© gz

and the emergence of the Romanesque period. Some time later, the first Cistercian monasteries appeared, such as Poblet and Santes Creus, which combined their role as spiritual centres with that of places for culture and centres for the colo- nisation of a territory in need of repopulation. The magic mountain The choir raises its pure voices inside a basilica hanging off the mountain. This is one of the oldest children’s choirs in Europe and one of the most characteristic images of the Monastery of Mont- serrat , a mythical spiritual centre that was built after the finding of a black virgin (called “la More- neta”) in a cave in the 9th century. It is located in a mountain range in central Catalonia formed by clusters of jagged rocks that point to the heavens. www.montserratvisita.com A PASSION FOR GAUDI In the central nave of the Sagrada Familia, the light filters in through the stained-glass windows and gives the space a breathtaking appearance. Outside, the spires rise marking the profile of the temple. When it is complete (in 2026) it will have twelve spires dedicated to the apostles, and four more to the evangelists, although the main spires will be that of the Virgin Mary, and the highest, at 172.5 metres, Jesus Christ. Construction of the

church began at the end of the 19th century and was the work to which the architect Antoní Gaudí applied all of his knowledge, and all of his religious passion, as he was a fervent Catholic. www.sagradafamilia.org THE FIRST CHRISTIANS OF TARRACO The route of the first Christians of Tarraco goes through places that were the scenes of the progressive introduction of Christianity in Hispanoromanic society of Roman Tarragona. The route includes eight milestones, between which we find museums and monuments. A visit is made to the chapel of Sant Pau, the Cathedral and the Diocesan Museum, the Tarragona Biblical Museum, the amphitheatre of Tarragona, the Forum of the Colony, the Early Christian basilica of the Central Park, the Early Christian Necropolis and the Centcelles

the choir of montserrat.

© GZ

ROUTES OF PILGRIMAGE Many travellers have crossed inland Catalonia along the routes of pilgrimage. Some follow the Way of St James, a series of different routes with various accessible sections going towards Galicia and passing through points such as the monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes and Barcelona Cathedral. Another route shares the same path but goes in the opposite direction: this is the Ignatian Way . Ignatius, the man who later became the founder of the Company of Jesus, spent a year in the a cave in Manresa, where the saint had his most significant spiritual experiences. www.camidesantjaumeperatothom.cat, www.camidesantjaume.cat, caminoignaciano.org

Visitors who have been to the Cathedral of Sant Pere in Vic (Paisatges Barcelona), go on a unique journey. They are not satisfied with simply seeing the neoclassical building (1803). They will also go out onto the roof and see some extraordinary places located on top of the church. They have the privilege of walking across the cathedral’s roof tiles and past the domes that cover it to see what nobody sees. Once inside the building, they can contemplate the paintings of Josep Maria Sert, one of the most outstanding mural- ists of the 20th century. This is just one of the many experiences trav- ellers are given by Catalonia Sacra , a tourist project in which the ten Catalan archbishops and a good number of experts in religious heritage participate, and which seeks to promote the ar- tistic and architectural treasures of the church- es. However, not all of the churches are large constructions. Sometimes it is the abandoned hermitages or the isolated monasteries which give visitors the most stimulating experiences. www.cataloniasacra.cat

vic cathedral and the cave of saint ignatius, in manresa.

archaeological complex. The activity is offered all year round in Catalan, Spanish and English, and the route is accessible.

50

BOYS form the Choir of Montserrat

34 /

Discover Catalonia

© Juan josé pascual