The history of the abbey of Montserrat goes back about a thousand years. In 1025, the abbot Oliba founded a small monastery that slowly grew in size and importance over the years, finally becoming an abbacy in the 1400s. However, this was a place of religious importance even before that; as early as the year 888, there is mention of four chapels in the hillsides of Montserrat. In the 1200s, a statue of the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus is discovered by shepherds claiming to have been led to it by divine light. This was regarded as a miracle and pilgrims began to visit Montserrat to pray at the statue. By the 1300s, Montserrat was becoming known all over the continent, and a boys’ choir was established at the Shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat, run by the monastery.

In 1493, Christopher Columbus named one of the islands that he discovered in the Caribbean after this religious and historical landmark. The newly-independent abbey of Montserrat continued to grow in prominence until the 1800s. The Napoleonic War that ended in 1811 resulted in abandonment of the region, and it was not until the 1840s that restoration was begun on the monastery.

Today, the Montserrat region is popular with Catholic pilgrims, mountain climbers and tourists. Its history and association with La Morenta make it a holy site for Christians, the jagged peaks of Saint Jerome offer an exciting challenge for adventurers, and the beautiful scenery attracts many people on vacation.