Basilica Sanctuary of Meritxell

Religious

The Basilica Sanctuary of Meritxell is the most important religious temple in Andorra. But in addition to its spiritual importance, this place of worship in the Canillo parish offers other reasons for your visit, mainly from an artistic and landscape point of view. This religious complex in Andorra is a place full of symbolism for the inhabitants of the Principality. In fact, it houses the image of the Virgin of Meritxell, patron saint of the country. It is a polychrome carving reminiscent of the original Romanesque one, destroyed in the fire of 1972. In addition, the Basilica Sanctuary of Meritxell houses other carvings of Andorran saints, patrons of the rest of the country's parishes. This importance has earned the temple the title of Minor Basilica, granted by Pope Francis in 2014, thus becoming the only place of worship with this distinction in the Principality. Since then, Meritxell has been part of the so-called Marian Route, which runs through four other important sanctuaries in Spain and France: El Pilar, Montserrat, Torreciudad and Lourdes. For this reason, this temple has also become a pole of attraction for visitors moved by faith and spirituality.