Church of the Virgin of Meritxelles

Church of Meritxell Sanctuary

The Church of the Meritxell Virgin is one of Andorra’s landmarks, located in the town of Canillo. The Romanesque church was built in the 17th century, but unfortunately it was completely destroyed by fire in 1972. A new church was then built on the same site by 1976 by architect Richard Bofill.

Unlike the ancient chapel, which was created as a secluded place of worship, the modern church receives a large number of foreign visitors who want to see the most significant holy sites of Andorra. This church is dedicated to the Holy Virgin of Meritxelles, the patroness of the city. When realizing the new design of the church, Bofill wanted to introduce some specific elements that mark the special character of the place. The inlaid stones above the altar form the name “Meritxelles”, according to the philologist Coromni the name “Meritxelles” is derived from the Latin meridiem – “bride of the lord”. In the church there is a reproduction of a statue of the Virgin Mary, around which there are images of 7 saints – patrons of the seven counties of Andorra, this makes the church of the Virgin of Meritxell a kind of national symbol.

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