Contrary to popular belief, she is not black due to a portrayal of a Black African Madonna. The blackness also does not come from a dark colour in the wood or from earlier coverings in the paint. It is known from historical descriptions of the Madonna that she has simply darkened over time.

Montserrat, the “serrated mountain”, near Barcelona in Spain symbolizes the vital power of the Church. Even after seemingly hopeless periods of decline, Our Lord leads her back again to her mission of salvation far beyond all known boundaries.

Our Lady of Montserrat, also known as La Moreneta, is an esteemed religious figure and the patroness of Catalonia, Spain. She is venerated at the Montserrat Abbey, a Benedictine abbey situated on the Montserrat mountain near Barcelona.

However, the statue presently kept at the Montserrat shrine appears to have been introduced in the twelfth or thirteenth century. Its Romanesque style is consistent with this estimate. Beyond general style, the genre of the statue is certainly that of an 'enthroned virgin', typical of the earliest icons of Mary.