Week 3 POL 130: MONTSERRAT

 Week 3 POL 130:  Montserrat

    We started the day by going up the cable cars to this beautiful place up in the mountains called Montserrat. It has a giant church with crazy views and "spiritual energy." This was a crazy trip that combined faith, food, hiking, and politics in one day. After we explored the monastery and learning about the religious and historical importance, we hit up the buffet which had FREE BEER, and then hiked up to the cross at the top of the mountain. 

    This journey to the Montserrat showed that it was more than just a monastery, but a symbol of the Catalan identity. During the Franco dictatorship when the Catalan language was banned, Montserrat was an escape for the Catalan culture where the people could still speak their language and find a sort of spiritual resistance. In POL 130 we've talked about how identity is shaped through political power. This place was the perfect example of that as we saw how religion and resistance to the government come together to help me understand how the identities of Spain have been suppressed and preserved. 

    We've also learned how public spaces can be political. As we hiked up the mountain to the cross, we saw Catalan flags and graffiti that aimed at political messages. As we talk about the reoccurring theme of how public spaces carry meaning. Even if it's downtown Barcelona, a walk of Barceloneta, or even hiking up the mountain of Montserrat, these places hold history about who belongs and who remembers. This journey to Montserrat showed me how politics are everywhere and that political identity isn't always a legality and can be quiet and symbolic. This experience helped me see Catalonia as more than a region, but a place with deep history, unique identity, and a great sense of self and Montserrat captures all of that.