"In 1348, the black
plague spread in Barcelona and as a result about one third of the
population died. With this terrible apocalypse, people realized the need
for an organized healthcare system more and more.
At the beginning of the 15th century, a comprehensive hospital complex
was built to bring the six existing hospitals in Barcelona under one
roof. The origin of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau is located
in the district "El Raval". The former hospital building at its original
location is a magnificent example of Gothic civil architecture. Antoni
Gaudí died in the hospital in 1926 after a traffic accident. Today it
houses the medical faculty and the Catalan State Library.
In the late nineteenth century, thanks to increasing industrialization,
economic and social growth in Spain and a major expansion of Barcelona's
urban area took place. Health care also made a leap into scientific
medicine and had to face new hygienic principles. In addition, the
buildings in the narrow neighborhood El Raval were too small and it was
planned to expand the area of the hospital.
In 1902, the legacy of the banker Pau Gil made it possible to build a
new hospital. Thus, on January 15, 1902, the construction work could
begin with the laying of the foundation stone at its current location -
only about 1,000 metres from Sagrada Familia. The hospital was named
"Hospital de la Santa Creu i de Sant Pau" in the banker's honor. A good
thirty years later, on January 16, 1930, the new hospital was handed
over to King Alfonso XIII of Spain. After almost 80 years, the
hospital moved to the new buildings right next door and the historic
facility is open to visitors including the wards.
An Early Example of Construction Sustainably The
facility is an example of sustainable construction and efficient energy
management. On the basis of geothermal installations, which provided
heat supply to various pavilions of the hospital complex in the form of
almost 400 wells over 100 meters deep. For reasons of hygiene, the whole
area was laid out on a slope: warm air pulls up - so the ventilation
system was developed in a way that all bacteria and viruses are pulled
away from the patients with the natural air flow.
The chosen building materials are made of durable building materials,
which fulfill the function of a hospital. As a typical part of
modernistic architecture we find a striking mix of brick, natural stone
and ceramics. The predominantly processed material is red brick, which
was used exclusively for facades, in combination with natural stone,
which was used for all decorative, architectural elements, reliefs and
sculptures. Additionally you can find shiny ceramic stone in the
cladding of the domes, roofs and mosaics, as well as in the interior
ceiling designs.
Since 1997, the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau has been on the
UNESCO World Heritage List and in 2001 celebrated its 600th anniversary". https://www.barcelona.de/en/barcelona-hospital-santa-creu.html
******
On a presonal note:
I actually did not know that this was a hospital.
I came here because it looked beautiful.
I paid E15 for entrance...ok..quite pricey, so I might as well make the most of it.
The moment I entered, it radiated with cool air, and
kinda felt eerie, especially,
when this appeared in front of me.
I knew in my mind, it was blurred, yet, it felt creepy.
Then, I realized, ok---this was a hospital...and started to admire the hologram.
The actual room...on display.
A beautiful hospital, with beautiful gardens.
****
It may seem a strange principle to enunciate as
the very first requirement in a hospital that it should do the sick no harm.
"In
Catalonia, Spain, not far from Barcelona, you will find this historic
monastery perched on a cliff. Inside is the famous statue of Our Lady of
Montserrat, known as the Black Madonna, or moreneta in Catalan.
The origin of the image is unknown. Some claim that it was carved in
the Holy Land in the early Centuries of the church while others put the
date around the 13th Century.
Saint Ignatius of Loyola
visited here after he recovered from his illness and laid down his
military equipment in front of the statue. He went on to a period of
asceticism before…..and eventually founding the order that became known
as the Jesuits". (https://thecatholictravelguide.com/destinations/spain/montserrat-spain-shrine-black-madonna/)
The easiest way to get to Montserrat is to catch a train from the rail
station at Plaça Espanya—you will want line R-5. The train will take you
to the base of the mountain. To reach the Monastery you can then take
the cable car from the base of the mountain. There is an admission fee,
which helps to support the efforts to restore the monastery.
I personally took the tour from GetYourGuide.com. It was around $65 plus gratuity. I opted for this because my time in Barcelona was limited. Overall, it was really worth it. We started at 8am and ended at our 6pmish. Out tour guide did extensive explanation of every sights we passed-from the city up to Montserrat. Air-conditioned bus and cog wheel train were included in the package.
Here are the pics that caught my eye ....
Our driver...Jose
The view getting near Montserrat
A mountain visible along the way
This boulder is so enormous!!
Entrance
Still the entrance of the church
Walk way along
As we enter the church....a sculpture of St. George greeted us.
Why Sant Jordi?
The feast of Sant Jordi (or Saint George, as we know him in English),
falls on 23rd April, the supposed anniversary of his martyrdom. George,
according to tradition, was a Roman soldier of Greek origin who
converted to Christianity and was executed when he refused to renounce
his faith. The emperor Diocletian had issued an edict persecuting
Christians, which led to George revealing his faith for which the
emperor ordered his decapitation. Celebrated as a martyr, fantastic
legends grew up around him. Since 1456 he has been the patron saint of
Catalonia, one of his many patronages, alongside England, Georgia,
Bulgaria, Aragon, farmers, the scout movement, chivalry, horses, sheep
and skin diseases.
The legend
The legend, as told in Catalonia at least, says that, once upon a
time, there was a savage dragon, able to poison the air and kill with
his breath, terrorising the inhabitants of a town. The residents, living
in fear, decided to appease the dragon by offering him two sheep a day.
But this only lasted so long before they ran out of animals and had to
find another kind of sacrifice. They decided to draw lots among all the
residents. The person whose luck ran out, the person chosen, was the
princess. Her father, the king, accepted the result and wouldn't
exchange her for another victim. So the princess, dressed in white,
headed to her fate. At that moment, a knight appeared: Saint George.
Astride a white horse, with his sword in one hand, shield in the other,
he rode to the rescue. He ran the dragon through with his weapon,
freeing the princess and the town. And the dragon's red blood soaked
into the ground where he died and, in that spot, a bush of bright red
roses sprang up. The knight plucked one and offered it to the princess.
And, despite George being a Roman soldier from either Palestine or
Cappadocia who died in Bithynia (those last two in modern Turkey), the
Catalan version sets the dragon in story in... Catalonia. Specifically
Montblanc, capital of the comarca (county) Conca de Barberà, about 100 km/60 miles due east of Barcelona.
This statue of Sant Jordi can be found in a niche when walking in the
direction of the Monastir de Montserrat Church. It´s a work of Josep
Maria Subirachs, a Catalan sculptor and painter of the late 20th
century. His best known work is probably the Passion Facade of the
basilica of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona. It has been controversial,
as he did not make any concessions to the style of the architect who
designed the building, Antoni Gaudí. The same style can be found in this
statue of Sant Jordi. (http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMD26H_Sant_Jordi_Montserrat_Spain)
History of the Black Madonna of Montserrat
Originally known as La Jerosolimitana, the statue was thought to have been fashioned in Jerusalem during the earliest times of the Christian Church
The Black Virgin of Montserrat is nowadays also known as La Morenata or simply as The Madonna of Montserrat
The statue was eventually given to the Bishop of Barcelona who brought it to Spain
In the 7th century the Saracens invaded Spain. Eventually, when it
became obvious that Barcelona could no longer hold out, a group of
citizens removed the statue from the city and on the 22nd April 718 hid
it in a cave at Montserrat
For almost 200 years the statue remained hidden. It was not forgotten but details of its location were lost.
In 890 shepherd boys from Monistrol at the foot of Montserrat were
sent up the mountain with their flocks. At night time they saw lights
and heard singing on the mountainside.
The matter was reported to the village priest and the investigations led to the discovery of the statue
The statue was brought down from the cave and a small church was built to house it.
The ecclesiastical infrastructure that later developed - the
monastery and the basilica - were entirely to facilitate the worship of
the Black Virgin of Montserrat
The monastery was completed in 1592
The present statue probably replaces a much earlier model.
Byzantine-style art is evident in the long facial features of the
Madonna and the Child.
Despite their protected position on the mountain the buildings have
suffered many onslaughts caused by invaders, civil wars, and rebellions.
But the statue has been protected by the custodians.
The Virgin Mary of Montserrat was declared the Patron Saint of Catalonia by Pope Leo XIII (reigned 1878-1903)
The shrine that houses the statue, situated behind and above the altar, was completed in 1954
Every year millions of pilgrims make their way to Montserrat to pay homage to this statue of the Virgin
According to superstition, the Virgin will intercede to encourage
the fertility of a woman who is hoping to become pregnant if she kisses
the hand of the statue. ( https://wanderwisdom.com/travel-destinations/The-Black-Virgin-ofo-oMontserrat)
We have to queue to get inside. This was the hallway that goes up the altar.
Too often, racism and ignorance obscure her true origins. One common account of the Black Madonna in France's Chartres Cathedral holds that her skin was once white, but became dark
over the centuries due to exposure to candle soot. This theory,
although easily disproven, is accepted in many locations throughout
Europe. (https://www.utsa.edu/ovations/vol8/story/black-madonna.html)
At this time, I was already sitting at the church....'used zoom lens to take pic on top of the altar.
Shrine of the Black Madonna
Some more pictures outside the Shrine....
Candle offering
Replica/s sold at the Shrine's Store
Honestly, I did not know what they were doing..maybe practicing climbing, or just cleaning up..
St. Michael's Cross..The walk takes about 20 minutes each way. It is more uphill on the way there. At the end of the walk is St. Michael's Cross.
At a distance, Montserrat is a pile of
grottoes and Gothic pyramids; when near, each cone appears a mountain by
itself; and all the cones, terminated by needles, or points, which make
a great noise when the wind blows, form an enormous mass of about five
leagues in circumference. It was probably this singular conformation
that led to the invention of the fable of the giants, who had heaped
mountain upon mountain to scale the heavens.
It is on a platform of his
celebrated mountain that the superb convent has been built, dedicated to
the Blessed Virgin, which is one of the most celebrated pilgrimages of
Christendom. An inscription, of the year 1239, preserved in the convent
above a large picture of the same period, thus records the foundation of
this fine monastery.
Our guide said these look like mummies...
*****
I am so blessed to be able to come to Montserrat.
With the continuous prayers along the way,
All went well.
Thanks for taking the time to view / read my blog.
all photos are all taken by me..
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