As well as the national monuments such as the House of the Valleys (Casa de la Vall ) and the Areny-Plandolit estate mentioned in the museum section, Andorra is full of lovingly-preserved and restored Romanesque architecture.

The cathedral of the diocese at La Seu d'Urgell is the oldest in Spain, dating from the mid XIIthC, so a great many of Andorra's chapels and churches date also from this period. Nearly every one of our little villages has a Romanesque church with its typical straight colonnaded bell tower (with the exception of St Vicens in Santa Coloma that, almost unique in being round, is now being considered for World Heritage status). Throughout the summer months the parish authorities post local students at the churches, thus keeping them open so that visitors can see some of our beautiful mediaeval frescoes and altar backs.

Sights and Architecture
Romanesque architecture also features elsewhere. There are two original stone bridges, one on the Gran Valira river next to the main road at La Margineda between Sant Julià and Andorra la Vella, (see left) and the other in the gorge below the Sant Antoni tunnels leading up to La Massana. There is a third one at the top of the Ordino valley, next to the road at Les Salines, and a fourth hidden away in Escaldes, but these have been extensively remade.

Our national shrine is at Meritxell, on the main road to France at the limit of Canillo parish. Unfortunately the original mediaeval chapel with its carved figure of Our Lady of Meritxell was destroyed by fire in 1972, but it has now been restored alongside the new sanctuary buildings designed by the world-famous Catalan architect, Ricard Bofill.

There are many well-preserved ragstone villages throughout Andorra which still showcase all our rural traditions. Some of the best being at Aixirivall in Sant Julià; Les Bons at Encamp; Canillo (upper part); Sornas and Llorts in the Ordino valley; a small part of La Massana; and most especially in Pal, (see above) which is now preserved as a national monument. All these places have a profusion of original farmhouses known as bordes, most of which are still used to this day.