Andorra · 100th anniversary of the coronation of Our Lady of Meritxell (Unsere Liebe Frau von Meritxell)

Issue date15 Dec 2021

Total mintage73,750

EU maximum73,750

Editions2

Edge lettering2 ★ ★ × 6, alternating upright/inverted

InscriptionANDORRA / 1921-2021

DesignerOrietta Rossi

mintMonnaie de Paris, Pessac

Issue occasion

The coin is dedicated to Our Lady of Meritxell, the patron saint of the Principality of Andorra, and bears the years “1921-2021”. The design depicts the Romanesque statue from the 11th/12th century in front of a partial view of the basilica in which it stands, as well as a graphic depiction of a flower and the inscription “ANDORRA”.

The design

In the foreground is a reproduction of the 11th/12th-century Romanesque statue of Our Lady of Meritxell (patron saint of the Principality of Andorra). In the background are a partial view of the basilica in which the statue stands, a graphically depicted flower, the name of the issuing country, “ANDORRA”, and the dates “1921-2021”. The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the outer coin ring.

Background on the topic

The years refer to the centenary of the canonical coronation of the figure of the Virgin Mary on 8 September 1921. A canonical coronation is a church act by which the special veneration of an image of the Virgin Mary is officially recognized. As early as 1873, the General Council of Andorra had declared the Virgin of Meritxell the patron saint of the country. 8 September, her feast day, is also observed in Andorra as a national holiday. The coin thus combines a religious anniversary with the state identity of the Principality.

The veneration goes back to a local tradition. According to this tradition, a figure of the Virgin Mary was found near Meritxell, today a place in the municipality of Canillo, in winter beneath a flowering rosebush. It is said that attempts were made several times to take it to a nearby church; its reappearance at the site where it had been found was interpreted as a wish to build a sanctuary there. Such legends of discovery were widespread in medieval Marian devotion and explain the association of a miraculous image with a particular place.

The historic sanctuary of Meritxell was largely destroyed by fire during the night of 8 to 9 September 1972. The medieval wooden figure was also lost. The representation venerated today is a reconstruction based on photographs of the original. A new sanctuary was built beside the remains of the older church according to plans by the Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill. It was inaugurated in 1976. Its design, with arches, open passageways and slate surfaces, incorporates forms of traditional Pyrenean architecture without reproducing the former building. The church was later granted the rank of Basilica minor.

The occasion was chosen for a commemorative coin because the coronation of 1921 marked the transition from a regional pilgrimage tradition to a nationwide religious and national day of commemoration. Meritxell thus stands both for Marian devotion, the history of Andorran institutions and the cultural identity of the Pyrenean state.