Certainly, Andorra enjoys a fantastic reputation among the ski enthusiasts and other high altitude sportsmen, most certainly because of the 300 km of slopes covered with optimal snow to enjoy the joys of skiing and snowboarding other snow-related activities. Admittedly, the Principality of the Pyrenees has many assets to take care of its guests, whether through the many wellness centres and spas or by treating them to a exceptional mountain cuisine. But to focus only on these aspects would be to ignore one of the most fascinating aspects of Andorra, namely its architectural and cultural heritage more than 1,000 years old! Over the centuries, the small kingdom of snow has preserved an amazing heritage of stones, a true witness to the country's history, while cultivating an identity that is open to the outside world and a passion for art at its most contemporary level. When you discover the forty or so ancient buildings spread over all the parishes, you quickly realize that Romanesque and religious art tend to overlap and even mix, with the possible exception of the Basilica Sanctuary of Meritxell dedicated to the patron saint of the Andorran valleys Nostra Senyora de Meritxell, whose current version dates from the 1970s. There will also be plenty of time to push open the doors of some of the Principality's superb or more humble old residences, thus discovering past lifestyles, but also to immerse yourself in local culture and economy through the twenty or so specialised museums that make up the territory, paying tribute to what made up Andorra's wealth. Not to mention the beautiful art galleries that are resolutely oriented towards the present. Remember to bring your PassMuseu, it gives access to about twenty museums!
Romanesque and religious heritage
As silent witnesses of history, the monuments and architectural ensembles that we will enjoy observing throughout the Principality will allow us to familiarize ourselves with the culture of the Andorrans of yesterday. Whether they are churches, modest places of prayer or medieval bridges, often of simple and soberly decorated construction, they are the result of a combination of local know-how and foreign influences, which occurred between the 17th and 19th centuries.
It is in Pal, in the commune of Massana, that one will get to know Romanesque art, and more precisely in the church of Sant Climent de Pal, a splendid building whose original erection dates back to the 11th century. There are also important religious art items from other surrounding churches. Spread over the Andorran valleys, there are more than fifteen churches and chapels from the Romanesque period, all built almost a thousand years ago, then modified, renovated, transformed over time, like the church of Sant Cristòfol d'Anyós (La Massana) or that of Sant Joan de Caselles (Canillo). In the one from Santa Coloma to Andorra la Vila, furnished with a superb Lombard bell tower (a very rare thing in the Pyrenees), we can, through video mapping (video projection), observe the wall paintings that once adorned the interior: the ancient frescos are reborn with precision before our eyes!
To take heritage exploration a step further, we will visit the Musée d'Art sacré d'Encamp. Three rooms house various liturgical objects used occasionally for specific festivities: medieval silverware, baroque sculptures, textiles, ceramics and parchment elements dating back to the 16th century
This small Andorran pilgrimage would not be complete without a visit to the Sanctuary of Meritxell, enjoying a magnificent panoramic view of the Canillo valleys and elevated to the rank of Minor Basilica by Pope Francis in 2014, converting it from the same movement into a stage of the Marian Route, a circuit linking four important sanctuaries in Spain and France. Highly symbolic for the inhabitants, the sanctuary houses the statue of the Virgin of Meritxell, Andorran patron saint celebrated on September 8. Following the 1972 fire, the Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill erected a work full of personality here, "recreating Romanesque art", characterised by an open cloister whose arches are open to the four winds. Unmistakable!
Diving in yesterday's Andorra
Let us now take an interest in the daily life of the Andorrans of yesteryear. Visiting three museum-houses will allow you to learn more about the rural lifestyles and customs of the population until the middle of the last century, while exploring their social differences
Casa Areny-Plandolit is located in Ordino and was owned by a rich Andorran family involved in politics and forging from the end of the 18th to the beginning of the 19th century. The dimensions of the residence as much as the profusion of furniture with refined details that occupies it - like the imposing work desk - testify to this opulence
In Sispony (La Massana), Casa Rull embodies the traditional Andorran rural habitat of the region. It belonged to the Perich family, farmers who owned land that was able to build a large house with spectacular views from the upper floors, while the ground floor was dedicated to agricultural work. The tools of yesteryear, still present here, help the visitor to immerse himself in this not so distant past.
Finally, in Encamp, it is the Casa Cristo that opens its doors to us, a canonical example of modest rural housing. Small in size, dependent on the space available on the rock on which it was built, it was occupied by a family of landless farm workers until 1947. The small space filled with very simple utensils unfolding around the central chimney makes it easy to imagine the humble living conditions of the last occupants.
The Rossell forge, completely renovated and transformed into an iron interpretation centre, takes us behind the scenes of metallurgy, one of the spearheads of the Andorran economy until the end of the 19th century, with a demonstration of a blacksmith in support: a hammer with hydraulic propulsion set in motion and ingot production are on the programme, as they were at the time!
In the city centre of Sant Julià de Lòria, located in the former Reig factory where tobacco was once processed, is the excellent Tobacco Museum, another essential former manna of Andorra. Audiovisual and multimedia installations coupled with the exhibition of authentic production instruments teach the whole process of modern tobacco production, from planting to leaf drying to cigarettes (and cigars). Striking!
Culture today
As we have understood, Andorra cultivates its historical and cultural heritage with care, making it alive and always presented with relevance. Many other modern and ingeniously designed museums are worth mentioning, some of which can be accessed via the PassMuseu (20 participating entities), such as the Motorcycle Museum, the 80 cars of the National Automobile Museum - tracing the evolution of four-wheelers over a century (until 1970) - or the Ordino Postal Museum. The latter takes us on a time travel, from the end of the Roman era to the present day, by exhibiting more than 50,000 items related to postal services: the collection of old stamps (due to its border position) is breathtaking!
Art lovers will not be left out either. The Miniature Museum, although small in size, is the second most visited museum in the Principality, as well as the first in Europe dedicated to this art worthy of a goldsmith's work. These are microscopic and unique sculptures made by hand on various noble materials such as gold or platinum, but also on paper, fruit seeds or rice grains, mainly by the Ukrainian artist Nicolaï Siadristy, world master in his category. Absolutely incredible!
The Thyssen Museum of Andorra, opened in 2016, will also be popular with aesthetes. Although located in the heart of a splendid old building, its facilities are very modern and it houses 19th and 20th century paintings from Carmen Thyssen's private collection. The works cover various periods ranging from French and North American Impressionism to Catalan Modernism, Cubism, German Expressionism and North American Hyperrealism. Temporary exhibitions are organized there, notably in partnership with foreign art museums. Other galleries and works are to be discovered in Andorra, such as the Artalroc or the Escaldes-Engordany Art Centre. In other words, Andorra does not lack food for the mind!
In a next topic, we will see how much can be done with the little ones.
More information on the Andorra Turisme website and on the AndorraWorld Facebook page.
