Catalonia - Art and Culture 2018

Time seems to go more slowly in monasteries, but we mustn’t be mistaken; they are full of activity and welcome visitors with open arms. Monasteries and sanctuaries in full activity

© imagen m.a.s.

© gz

Ora et labora . The maxim that was applied to the life of the first Benedictine monasteries also governs those of the 21st century. St Benedict founded his order in the 6th century and established a rule which gave as much im- portance to the exercise of spiritual life as to work. It is applied in the monastery of Mont- serrat (Paisatges Barcelona), which is home to a community made up of nearly seventy monks. For a thousand years, they have been following a guided life in which the clock is an essential companion. They also do the most diverse jobs, from handicraft to writing lyrics. In addition to being a spiritual focal point, Montserrat is also a centre of culture which has a famous children’s choir and the oldest active music school in Europe. It also has a hostel to get away from the mundane city noise for a few days. The same warm welcome is offered in other Catalan Benedictine monasteries with active communities, where it is possible to live like a monk for a few days. Such is the case of the

Sanctuary of the Miracle of Lleida , founded in 1899 and inhabited by a community of Benedic- tine monks. Or of the monasteries along the Cistercian Route which still maintain active communities, such as the impressive Poblet, one of the largest monasteries in Europe, where a community of monks resides, or the monas- tery of Santa Maria de Vallbona, where a com- munity of nuns runs a guesthouse, works in the garden, and does handicraft activities. A visit to the website www.larutadelcister.info/es will show you the many possibilities of a route that allows you to see outstanding religious centres, but also to take part in numerous cultural, culinary, and adventure activities. But monastery life is not exclusively Catholic. Since 1996, the Sakya Tashi Ling community of Buddhist monks has lived in the Garraf park (Barcelona), an isolated, rocky place with little vegetation. They live in the Plana Novella, a for- mer property which was the house of ‘indianos’ and which, in majestic and eclectic style, today houses both the statues and figures that formed

part of the original decoration as well as the new Buddhist images. Les Avellanes or the archives of the marists Amidst forests, mountains, and fields of crops in Os de Balaguer (Terres de Lleida), in 1166 a monastery was founded that would soon be- come the centre of power of the counts of Urgell, and an active focus of culture and thought. Its Romanesque cloister and its Goth- ic church welcomed different communities from the Premonstratensian monks who followed the rules of St Augustine, to the Trapensians and the Marists, who have lived in the building since 1910. The archives of the Marists in Catalonia are preserved at this monastery, but the com- plex also includes a house of spirituality and a study house as well as a hostel, the restaurant of which, El Claustre, is well worth a visit with its Catalan cuisine made with local products as

Montserrat Monastery Library.

monastery of bellpuig de les avellanes.

poblet FROM the inside When they enter the largest Cistercian monastery in Europe, inhabited by a community of monks following Benedictine rule, visitors are submerged into a ‘world of forms, traditions, and symbols’ as Josep Pla described it. The architectural, artistic, and historical importance of this place overwhelms spectators and makes them wonder about the reason behind such severe magnificence. The guides try to answer the question on a tour of the Abbey complex, the royal residence, and the Pantheon. The experience can be completed with a meal at the hostel with organic produce, some of which comes from the community garden, or by trying the wines of the Abbey of Poblet.

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For more information www.poblet.cat

well as its cutting-edge dishes. www.monestirdelesavellanes.com

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