Description of the attraction
The Monastery of Mericell in Canillo is one of the main cult sights not only of the city, but of the whole country. The Sanctuary of Merichel was erected in the 17th century. and is located near Encamp.
It was here at the end of the XII century. villagers going to Mass from the village to the city found a statue of the Mother of God with the Child under a briar bush. The statue was moved to the temple in Canillo, but the very next day, the statue of the Virgin was again in the rose hips. After the inhabitants brought the statue to Encamp, but it mysteriously disappeared again, returning to its original place under the rose bush. Having discovered the statue for the third time, the villagers took it as a sign, so they decided to build a chapel in an open space around a flowering rosehip bush.
Our Lady of Merichel is the famous statue of the Virgin Mary. She is the patron saint of the entire country. As a result of a strong fire that broke out in September 1972 on the Day of Our Lady of Merichel, the chapel was destroyed, and with it the statue of the Virgin Mary located within its walls. In 1976 the monastery was completely restored. The decision to build a new church was made by the local authorities. The author of this project was the famous Catalan architect Ricardo Bofil. A copy of the statue of the Virgin Mary, destroyed in 1972, was installed in the newly built chapel.
In addition to the copy of the statue of Our Lady located in the sanctuary, there are also sculptures of seven saints who are patrons of the seven districts of Andorra.
Today, the monastery of Mericell consists of two churches: an old chapel and a new church. In the old church, a permanent exhibition was opened under the name "Memory of Our Lady of Merichel". The exposition includes exhibits preserved after a fire in 1972. Here you can see the temple bell and the 17th century forged steel lattice.
Every year on September 8, the country celebrates a national holiday established in honor of Our Lady of Merichel. And her sanctuary has been very popular not only among local residents, but also among foreign pilgrims for many centuries.
