The feast of Meritxell

Our Lady of Meritxell

Our Lady of Meritxell is the Patron saint and the protectress of Andorra. Her sanctuary is in the left bank of the riu Valira, between Encamp and Canillo. Meritxell's day on the 8th of September and has been the national day in Andorra since 1730. This day, there is a mass where all Andorra's important people and all the religious people go. A lot of persons walk to the sanctuary from the seven parishes. After the mass everyone in Meritxell has to kiss the medal on the statue of the Virgin. 8th September is a holiday and all the shops are closed.The day ends with a party and fireworks in the capital.

The legend

A long time ago, on 6th January, the 3 wise men's day, the people who lived in Meritxell were going to the mess to Canillo. In front of the place where today the sanctuary is, they found a rosebush in full bloom. Surprised by the flowers, they came near the rosebush and they found a beautiful picture of the Virgin. They took it and they put it on the altar of the Canillo church. The next day, when the church opened, the clerk didn't find the picture and he thought someone had stolen it but a tourist said he had seen a beautiful picture of the virgin in Meritxell. The Canillo people said to the Encamp people that the Virgin preferred to live in Encamp that's why the picture was installed in the Encamp church but the next day the picture disappeared and the people went to Meritxell and saw the picture was there. That's why, the Andorrans built a church in the place where the bloom-rosebush was and they come there to pray the Virgin.