Basilica of Montserrat

Inside the Basilica of Montserrat within the Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey near Barcelona, Spain. While beautiful — and set in a majestic mountain locale — the basilica's main draw is the Virgin of Montserrat, one of the Black Madonnas of Europe. Only recently have researchers discovered that the virgin likely turned black from either candle smoke or due to a chemical reaction to the varnishes used on her, and that successive generations of restorers continued to repaint her with black paint. (William Dotinga/Courthouse News)