Santa Cecília de Montserrat is a

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

Marganell Marganell is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Bages in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated on the northern slopes of Montserrat, and is also known as Santa Cecília de Montserrat in reference to the Benedictine monasteries A monastery ...

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...

, Spain.

History

The monastery was founded by its first abbot, Cesari, who was sponsored by

Sunyer, Count of Barcelona Sunyer (c. 870 – 950) was count of Barcelona, Girona and Ausona from 911 to 947. Origins He was the son of Wilfred the Hairy and younger brother of the previous count of Barcelona, Wilfred II Borrel. He worked jointly with his brother in the ...

and his wife Riquilda de Tolosa. In 945,

Jordi Jordi () is the Catalan form of the ancient Greek name Georgios. Jordi is a popular name in Catalonia and is also given in the Netherlands and in Spanish-, English- and German-speaking countries. Jordi may also refer to: *Sant Jordi – patron sa ...

Bishop of Vic The Roman Catholic Diocese of Vic ( la, diocoesis Vicen(sis)) is a diocese with its seat in the city of Vic in the ecclesiastical province of Tarragona in Catalonia, Spain. Its cathedral is a basilica dedicated to Saint Peter. History A dioces ...

, authorized the formation of a monastery to be governed by the Rule of St. Benedict, with the monastery falling under the bishop's control. After the death of Cesari, the

Abbot Oliva Oliba (; 971–1046) was the count of Berga and Ripoll (988–1002), and later abbot of the monasteries of Santa Maria de Ripoll and Sant Miquel de Cuixà (1008–1046) and the bishop of Vic (1018–1046). He is considered one of ...

tried to annex the monastery, but met with opposition from the monks of the community. The monastery served as a place of refuge for pilgrims traveling to Montserrat. In the 15th century, it began to decline and in 1539, it was attached to

Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey Santa Maria de Montserrat () is an abbey of the Order of Saint Benedict located on the mountain of Montserrat in Monistrol de Montserrat, Catalonia, Spain. It is notable for enshrining the image of the Virgin of Montserrat. The monastery was fou ...

. The building was looted and burned by French troops in 1811 and 1812. The Abbot of Montserrat, Miquel Muntadas, ordered its reconstruction in 1862. Until in 1940, it served a community of Benedictine nuns; it was associated with the monastery of Sant Pere de les Puelles. In 1954 the nuns moved to a new monastery, Sant Benet, and since then the building has operated as a refuge for hikers and as a meeting center.

Architecture and fittings

The old monastery was of Romanesque style. There are three apses and two semicircular arches. There have been several renovations, the last carried out between 1928–31 to a design by the architect

Josep Puig i Cadafalch Josep Puig i Cadafalch (; Mataró, 17 October 1867 – Barcelona, 21 December 1956) was a Catalan '' Modernista'' architect who designed many significant buildings in Barcelona, and a politician who had a significant role in the development of ...

Bibliography

* Pladevall, Antoni: ''Els monestirs catalans'', Ediciones Destino, Barcelona, 1970

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Santa Cecilia de Montserrat Benedictine monasteries in Catalonia Christian monasteries established in the 10th century