Among other attractions of the city and around Barcelona, the Montserrat Monastery is one of particular interest. Montserrat is a mountain range in northern Spain, in the heart of Catalonia, near Barcelona. The mountains are extremely beautiful, whimsical stone shapes at times resembling castles made of wet sand or huge statues that inspire you both with fascination and horror. A Benedictine monastery is situated in the mountains, which can be accessed by foot from the valley of the Llobregat river through a mountain trail. This place has been attracting pilgrims and tourists since long ago, and in 1892 a rope way was built from the town Monistrol de Montserrat to the Monastery. It was later replaced by a cable car, but the old funicular still carries travelers from the monastery to the top of the Santa Magdalena Mount, from where a trail leads you to the hermitage of St. Jeroni.

The Monastery of Montserrat was founded in 1025 by abbot Oliba of Ripoll and Cuxa. The first small Catholic churches and chapels appeared here even earlier, in the 9th century. Then the land was conquered by Muslim Saracens as they were called. Abbot Oliba apparently led the construction of the monastery, he was a famous architect and had a great influence on the development of Catalan architecture, introducing elements of the Lombard style. In particular, under his leadership the monastery of St. Michelle de Cuxa was expanded and rebuilt. The Montserrat has seen many renovations, it was once destroyed by the Napoleon’s army and then re-built again. The last renovation dates to early 20th century. Currently the convent accommodates about 100 Benedictine monks. There is also a hotel for pilgrims.

The monastery houses a statue of Black Madonna (La Moreneta), the sacred object of pilgrimage. According to legend, the statue was carved by St. Luke and then moved to Spain by St. Peter. In 718, the statue was hidden in the mountains of Montserrat from the infidels, Saracens, and then was lost. In 890 La Moreneta was miraculously discovered by shepherds in a cave where they saw mysterious glow and heard angelic singing. At this place a chapel was built and the cave was named Santa Cova.

The statue, currently housed in a monastery dates from the 12th century. There are various theories explaining the strange black color of the Madonna and the child, but none of them is sufficiently substantiated. It is likely that the statue was darkened by the soot from so many candles which were lit around it for days and nights over centuries.

Black Madonna was the pilgrimage destination for so many historical personalities, including St. Ignatius Loyola, who hung weapons at her altar and embarked on the path of religious asceticism. In 1881 the statue was canonized by Pope Leo 13th and declared as the patron saint of Catalonia. It is believed that the Black Madonna can help women find the happiness of motherhood, that is why there are so many women and young couples visiting this monastery.

The gallery of the monastery contains a small yet rich collection of classical (El Greco, Caravaggio, Morales) and modern (Degas, Picasso, Dali) paintings.

The extensive library of the monastery was almost completely destroyed during the Napoleonic wars. Currently, the library contains over 400 original manuscripts, including Egyptian papyri, rare medieval manuscripts, as well as the famous collection of hymns Libre Vermille (Red Book), compiled by monks of the monastery in the 14th century to be sung by pilgrims during the night vigils.

In the church of Santa Maria de Montserrat degli Spagnolo two of the Pope Borgia family were buried: Callistus III (1455-1458) and Alexander The 6th (1492-1503).

Michael is an author writing about travel and experiences you get while traveling. See a list of hotels in Barcelona to make your visit to Barcelona a great experience. For other destinations in Spain, see the Spain Hotel Directory.

Forbidden City or the palace of the imperial dynasty is conveniently located in the heart of the capital of China, close to all major Beijing hotels, and during five centuries it was solely intended for residence of the rulers of China. From here 24 Emperors of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties ruled the country. From 1911 till his abdication in 1924 the last emperor of China lived here in a tiny yard, but some buildings have been converted into a museum and opened already in 1914.

Being the largest palace complex in the world, the Forbidden City is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

The start of construction dates back to around 15th century. The complex includes 800 buildings and 9999 rooms, occupying an area of 72 hectares. The Forbidden City was built in 1406-1420 respectively. Over one million construction workers and 100,000 other craftsmen such as stone carvers, wood carvers, painting artisans etc. were used by the Emperor at the site.

The palace is a vivid manifestation of the Chinese tradition. The name Forbidden City was given due to the fact that only the Emperor and his family could live here, whereas all the others, like courtiers, officials and ordinary people lived outside this great city, and no one could enter the palace without the permission of the governor. The palace is surrounded by an 8-meter high wall and a deep ditch. The prohibition to mortals to enter was in force until 1925. The palace was completely open to the public in 1949. Now it is a museum.

From Tiananmen Square to the Forbidden City leads the Gate of Heavenly Peace. The palace was divided into the inner and outer palace. The main premise of the External palace where the emperor would perform his public duties were the halls of Supreme Harmony, Full Harmony and Preservation of Harmony.

In the Inner Palace there were living quarters, where the Emperor lived, played, worshiped the God, together with the empress, concubines, princes and princesses. The main buildings of this part of the Forbidden City are the hall of Celestial Purity, Union and Peace, the Earth’s Tranquility. There are also three imperial gardens: Longevity, Compassion and Peace, and the Imperial Garden.

The design of this complex was carefully planned by the builders and architects, and was strictly in line with the philosophical and religious principles symbolizing the power of emperors. As almost all of the current buildings date from the 18th century, but they are all made of wood and therefore smoking is strictly prohibited.

The Forbidden City is usually considered as one of the key elements of any tourist program offered to guests of Beijing. Because it is very convenient to start your tour in the center of the city, from the Tiananmen Square, a place with history and significance, then to the Forbidden City, where the remarkable glory of Chinese emperors is preserved. Other places of interest may be located in various parts of the city, so be sure to make a reservation of a tourist bus or rent a car.

Thinking of a trip to Beijing, China? Be sure to read more articles by Msmallet about this great destination, plus check out the directory of Beijing hotels to make your stay a pleasant experience. See other China cities and places in our China Hotel Directory.