Montserrat (mountain, Spain)

Montserrat (mountain, Spain), mountain, northeastern Spain, 1,236 m (4,054 ft) high. A Benedictine monastery halfway up the eastern slope of the mountain contains a carved wooden statue of St. Mary that has long been venerated by pilgrims.

Many legends are associated with the monastery. It was originally built, according to one legend, in about the 9th century to shelter the statue. Ruins remain of an 11th-century edifice. A Renaissance church on the site, dating from the 16th century, was extensively restored in the 19th century, when the rest of the monastic buildings were constructed.