Montserrat wraps up millennium celebrations after 15 months, attracting 600,000 visitors

After 15 months of celebrations and activities, the commemoration of the millennium anniversary of Montserrat's iconic monastery will conclude on Monday.

Since September 2024, nearly 1,300 events have been held in honor of the anniversary, attracting over 620,000 visitors to the various activities organized throughout the year.

"Montserrat before and after the millennium will be different. From now on, it will be more proactive, with the goal of being closer to people and society," said Bernat Juliol, commissioner of the celebrations.

The anniversary will officially conclude on Monday with the Vespres Solemnes and a performance of Josep Ollé's 'Te Deum' by the Catalan Orfeo, the Montserrat Escolania choir, the Schola Cantorum, and the Valles Symphonic Orchestra.

Over these months, the celebrations have featured iconic and unprecedented moments, such as the procession of the Moreneta Virgin on the day of the Mare de Deu de Montserrat, and the monastery's partnership with the Festival of Perelada to bring Catalan music to Rome.

"From the very beginning, we wanted this to be a celebration for everyone. Not something kept inside, but an event open to all, because the history of Montserrat is the history of all of us," Juliol said.

He added that the events have been "extremely varied," spanning religious, academic, cultural, popular, and charitable activities.

"This diversity has allowed Montserrat to become a very important part of Catalan society," he said, giving a highly positive assessment of the celebrations.

Juliol believes the anniversary has helped the monastery become "closer to society and inspire people to visit Montserrat."

"The first lesson we take from this celebration is for ourselves, because we did many things we weren't used to doing," he said.

In this sense, the commissioner sees the millennium celebrations as a catalyst for future initiatives.

"We have launched numerous collaborations and started building projects that we are truly excited about," he added.

The impact of the celebrations has also been felt online. According to the monastery, their social media content has garnered 14.5 million views, with an additional 1.6 million views on YouTube.