La Moreneta at Montserrat: where to see the Black Madonna and what’s in the Holy Cave
If you’ve come to Montserrat to see La Moreneta, head for the basilica. The statue is kept in the cambril, the chapel behind the high altar. The Holy Cave, or Santa Cova, is a separate visit: the chapel there holds a replica and marks the spot where, according to legend, the image was found.
What to look for in the statue
Look at the hands. Mary holds a globe representing the universe. The Christ Child sits on her lap, raising one hand in blessing and holding a pine cone in the other. The shrine’s account of Our Lady of Montserrat dates the Romanesque carving to the 12th century. Its Catalan nickname, La Moreneta, refers to Mary’s dark complexion. Her designation as patron saint of Catalonia came much later, in 1881.
The Holy Cave: the story of the find
Local tradition tells of shepherds who found an image of the Virgin in a cave on the mountain. The story explains why pilgrims visit the cave; it doesn’t tell us when the statue was carved. On the way to the Holy Cave, you pass the sculpted scenes of the Monumental Rosary before reaching the chapel built against the rock.
Planning your visit
To see La Moreneta up close, look for “Throne of Our Lady” on the shrine’s opening hours page. The basilica can be open when the chapel is not. For the rest of your day on the mountain, see our guide to Montserrat Monastery.