Montserrat Millenary 2025: a thousand years of faith, culture and tradition

A thousand years of one of Catalonia's great cultural institutions

The Montserrat Millenary commemorates a thousand years since the founding of the Monastery of Santa María de Montserrat, considered one of the most significant religious, musical and cultural institutions in Catalonia. The anniversary is being lived as an extended process rather than a single event: liturgical ceremonies, concerts, exhibitions, congresses and special publications are spread across the calendar so as to reach as many visitors and communities as possible.

Beyond its religious dimension, the Millenary is an opportunity to rediscover the whole site: the basilica, the chamber of the Moreneta, the museum, the Escolanía, the mountain's historic paths, and Montserrat's own long traditions in publishing and music. For those coming from further afield, it is a perfect occasion to understand the symbolic weight that Montserrat carries within Catalan culture.

At Can Robira we have spent years welcoming guests who arrange their stays around Montserrat. This article gathers what we share with guests in person: what exactly is being celebrated, how the programme is structured, which public events tend to generate the most interest, and how to plan a visit without missing what matters most.

What exactly is being celebrated?

The Millenary marks a thousand years since the founding of the Monastery of Santa María de Montserrat, on the slopes of the mountain that gives the whole site its name. The founding is dated to around 1025, when the Benedictine community established itself at its current location and set in motion a monastic tradition that has continued unbroken for a thousand years.

Over that time, the Monastery has served as a Marian shrine, a school of music (with the Escolanía standing as a European reference for boys' choirs), a pioneering centre of publishing, a cultural refuge during politically difficult periods, and a source of identity for many generations. The Millenary seeks to honour that historical weight while at the same time opening the institution to new audiences.

That is why the programme is not solely religious. There are academic events, thematic exhibitions, concert series, special editions of scores and books, and activities aimed at families and schools. It is worth checking the official calendar before you visit, as some activities require advance booking and others have very limited capacity.

The essentials, at a glance

Foundation being celebrated

Monastery of Santa María de Montserrat

Anniversary

A thousand years of unbroken monastic tradition

Distance from Can Robira

25 minutes by car

Best time of day

Arriving early to avoid the crowds

Types of events

Liturgical, cultural, musical and academic

Recommended time

At least half a day; a full day is ideal

The kinds of events you will find in the programme

The calendar combines events open to the general public with others that are more restricted or academic in nature. It is worth distinguishing between them to avoid arriving with the wrong expectations. Liturgical events are the most heavily attended: solemn masses, offerings and Marian celebrations that coincide with significant dates in the Benedictine and Catalan calendars.

Cultural events tend to be the most accessible for visitors who are not practising believers: concerts by the Escolanía and the Capella de Música, organ recitals, choral series, temporary exhibitions, editorial presentations and round-table discussions. Many of these are free of charge and simply require arriving with enough time to secure a place.

Finally, there is an academic strand — congresses, seminars, research presentations — aimed at scholars, students and the ecclesiastical community. If your interest is historical or musicological, it is worth looking through this section before settling on your dates.

What not to miss at the Monastery during the Millenary

Although the special programme draws considerable attention, the heart of the Monastery remains its permanent offer: the basilica, the chamber of the Moreneta, the museum and the Escolanía. For first-time visitors to Montserrat, the recommended order is to enter the basilica unhurriedly, climb to the chamber to touch the image of the Moreneta, listen to the Escolanía if the timetable allows, and set aside time for the museum.

During the Millenary, the museum also tends to expand its permanent exhibition with extraordinary pieces and archival materials: codices, scores, historical photographs and liturgical objects not normally on public display. If you have a keen interest in history, allow at least an hour here.

If the weather obliges, the visit gains a great deal by adding half a day on the mountain: taking the funicular to Sant Joan, walking down to the Santa Cova, or, for those with experience, tackling the path to Sant Jeroni. The combination of culture and nature is what makes Montserrat truly singular.

How to experience the Millenary from Can Robira

Can Robira is 25 minutes by car from the Monastery of Montserrat, in a rural farmhouse in Els Hostalets de Pierola. That distance is the practical formula we recommend to our guests: close enough to set off early and arrive before most of the coaches, yet far enough away to sleep in complete silence and properly switch off.

Staying at the farmhouse makes it easier to organise the trip than a day visit would allow: leaving at eight in the morning, completing the main visit before midday, having lunch at a restaurant in the Anoia or the Penedès, and returning to the farmhouse to rest. If your stay is two nights, the second day is free for a walking route or a natural wine tasting in the estate's own cellar.

For guests with an interest in the Millenary, we put together a short printed briefing with the open events for the current month, the usual Escolanía timetables, and our personal recommendations for combining the visit with what the surrounding area has to offer. This is not an extra service: it is part of the check-in.

A suggested itinerary for a two-night stay

A flexible proposal: adjust the timings to fit the official schedules and the Millenary calendar.

• Arrival day: check in to Can Robira in the afternoon, a stroll around the estate, and a relaxed dinner at a restaurant in the Anoia.
• Day 1: an early start to the Monastery of Montserrat. The basilica, the chamber of the Moreneta, the museum and, if the timing works, the Escolanía. Lunch and back to the farmhouse.
• Day 1, afternoon: a short walk in the area or a natural wine tasting at the Can Robira celler.
• Day 2: a walking route (the Salts d'Aigua de Cabrera d'Anoia or a gentle ascent at Montserrat) and check-out after an unhurried breakfast.

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Recommendations for families and for visitors with limited time

If you are coming with family, it is worth prioritising the most visual elements and trimming the more theoretical ones. The basilica, the chamber of the Moreneta and the Sant Joan funicular tend to work very well with children aged six and over. The Escolanía, on the other hand, requires patience: the performance is short, but you need to arrive early and keep quiet throughout. If younger children are unlikely to manage that wait, it is better to save it for another visit.

If you only have half a day and want to engage with the Millenary, prioritise the cultural strand over the academic one: an unhurried visit to the museum, one of the temporary exhibitions linked to the anniversary, and, if the timetable fits, a liturgical event that lets you see the basilica in use. The Escolanía and the basilica are the images that stay with you; the academic events can be followed up afterwards through publications.

For visitors coming from outside Catalonia, it is worth spending ten minutes understanding what the Virolai is, why the Escolanía matters and what role Montserrat plays in the Catalan language and culture. Any guide or leaflet from the shrine will do. That small dose of context changes the experience considerably: instead of visiting a beautiful place, you understand what you are actually looking at.

Frequently asked questions about the Millenary

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