Made of the building blocks glass, copper and natural stone, mainly designed in black and white and inaugurated in 1976. Located right next to the old basilica and also includes a small museum. Particularly striking are the Romanesque arches.
The Basilica of Santuari de Meritxell is one of the most important religious places in Andorra because it houses the image of the Virgin of Meritxell, the country's patron saint. She was crowned on September 8, 1921 - what is now Andorra's national day. According to legend, her image was found in winter under a blooming rose bush - on a path behind today's basilica, where there is a small oratory.
The current complex consists of 2 parts: the old pilgrimage church (Romanesque tradition, rebuilt during the Baroque period) and the new pilgrimage church. The old church was largely destroyed in a fire in 1972. The image of the Virgin that is revered today is therefore an (almost) faithful replica and not the original. The burned building has been restored and now houses an exhibition reminiscent of what the church looked like before the fire.
The new sanctuary, a project of Ricard Bofill's architectural workshop, was inaugurated in 1976. Bofill decided to take an eclectic approach and combine elements of Romanesque architecture with influences from various styles - for example from the Florentine Renaissance and Islamic architecture. The central building consists of a distorted transept with partly open cloisters and an apse, as well as a large bell tower, both with a square floor plan. What stands out visually are the huge arches and the “colors” of the building - it is completely black (gray) and white. Copper sheathing over the roofs and on the bell tower was intended to add a further tone of color. The architect planned that the copper would turn green over time due to moisture and that the building would blend more and more into the mountain landscape. However, the dry climate of the Andorran valleys has so far thwarted this plan (the roofs now appear dark gray). Large windows that let in lots of light further integrate the landscape into the architecture.
Translated by Google •
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