10. Mare de Déu del Bosc

Construction of the Monastery’s present-day church began here, with this very apse. For that reason, it is one of the most historically significant area in the entire church.

The monks dedicated it to Mary , and this dedication has presided over the chapel throughout the centuries. The monks also entered and left the church through the cloister door on your left. So, every time they passed through this doorway, they found themselves before the Virgin Mary.

For centuries, this altar was presided over by the Romanesque carving of the Virgin of Sant Cugat , consecrated in 1218 by Abbot Ramon de Banyeres. It is now kept at the Museum of Terrassa, though her hands and the Child Jesus it once held on its lap have been lost.

Its large scale and fine craftsmanship beauty recall the Virgin of Montserrat. If you want to see her, you will find her image in the gallery.

This chapel was also decorated with a magnificent altar frontal. What you see today is a copy, as the original is preserved in the Palazzo Madama Museum of Turin.

Look closely at the scenes depicted on this frontal. At the centre we see Mary with the infant Jesus, surrounded by several scenes from her childhood. The story can be followed as though we were turning the pages of a book.

It begins with the Annunciation, when the Archangel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will be the mother of God, and continues with the birth of Jesus and the angel’s announcement to the shepherds.

In the upper right-hand section we find <b< the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple , the arrival of the Magi before Herod and the response of the wise men to Herod, indicating where the King of the Jews to be born. In the lower left-hand section, we see the Adoration of the Magi , followed by the angel who warns them in a dream to return by another route so that they will not inform Herod.

Finally, in the lower right-hand section, we find the getaway of the Holy Family into Egypt , the Massacre of the Innocents and, in the final scene, now outside the cycle of Jesus’ childhood, the Assumption of Mary into heaven, represented according to the model of Eastern icons.

Both the altar frontal and the Virgin of Sant Cugat eventually left the Monastery. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the parish was forced to sell these works to meet the considerable costs of urgent restoration work needed to safeguard the stability of the building.

But the story of this altar dedicated to Mary did not end with the loss of these works.

A few years later, this apse received a new image of the Virgin: the Virgin of the Forest that you see before you today.

For many centuries, this Romanesque carving had been venerated in Collserola, at the hermitage of Sant Adjutori or Santa Maria de Gausac, once owned by the Monastery. In the 1940s, it was decided to move it here to ensure its better preservation and safekeeping.

Now look closely at this image. Mary is crowned and seated on a royal throne. If you look at her right hand, you will see that she is holding a small fruit.

The meaning of this detail is particularly beautiful: just as Eve ate the fruit that brought sin and death into the world, Mary offers us her Son, who is the new fruit that brings us life and resurrection. Mary is thus presented as a new Eve.

Now look at the hands of the infant Jesus. In his left hand he holds a sphere representing the world, a symbol of his sovereignty over the whole universe. With his right hand, he blesses all of us who stand before him.

Notice the size of this hand: it is much larger than we would expect in proportion to the Child’s body. This is not an artist’s mistake, but an intentional manner used to emphasise the strength and depth of Jesus’ blessing.

Now take a careful look at this chapel. Over the centuries, its sculptures, altarpieces and altar frontals have changed. Yet the purpose of this place has remained the same: to welcome everyone who enters the Monastery into an encounter with Mary.