Narrow Stairway in Santa Maria de Montserrat Basilica
My companions and I were queuing up for what is probably Montserrat’s biggest attraction. The queue was to enter one side of the Santa Maria de Montserrat Basilica. It has been more than an hour in the queue and we were very curious to see what was so interesting that people would be queuing up for so long. The queue passes by the right side of the church and it passes through what is normally the small chapels which usually surround cathedrals. We were able to see the chapels up close where it would normally be closed off to visitors. If you were coming from inside basilica, you won’t be able to get in through the chapels since they are gated.
Onward to the Inner Sanctum of Santa Maria de Montserrat Basilica
There was finally a light in the proverbial tunnel. We finally were ascending a flight of stairs, it seems that we are finally approaching the destination. The stairway was made of dark material which made it quite intimidating. It reminded me of the crypt at El Escorial which was downright scary for me. There were images of saints along the stairway which looked to be treasures in their own right. I was surprised that these items are within easy access of the people. With the queue moving as slowly as it does, people would start touching and feeling these images. Over time, there might be damage done to these artifacts. Then can probably shield it with glass or something but that might make the stairway even narrower.
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