Old Santuari de Meritxell, Andorra
Posted by: 
tofixe
N 42° 33.303 E 001° 35.444
31T E 384306 N 4712368
Andorra's National Shrine burnt in 1972.
Waymark Code: WMWGWM
Location: Andorra
Date Posted: 09/04/2017
Views: 7
The night of the 8th to the 9th of September 1972 a fire destroyed the church almost entirely, including original documents of the sanctuary. Along with these documents, all the images and altarpieces that decorated the interior of this temple were lost, including the Romanesque wooden carving of the Virgin of Meritxell. The remains that stood still were used in the reconstruction of 1994.
The ‘Old Sanctuary’ (Romanesque style) was destroyed by a fire in 1972
The `Old church’ or `old sanctuary’ is a chapel dedicated to Saint Mary of Meritxell. It is a building of Romanesque origin erected at some moment before the second half of the 12th century. Only a few elements have been preserved from the old Romanesque building: the west wall that has been integrated inside one of the sidewalls of the baroque building. Also the foundations of the apse have been preserved and were discovered during the archaeological excavations of 1991. During the excavation were also found the south porch and the floor plant of the Romanesque building.
Type of Structure: Public building
Construction Date: 01/01/1150
Fire Date: 09/08/1972
Structure status: Still standing building
Cause of Fire:
Unknown, probably a candle.
Documentation of the fire: [Web Link]
Other: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Give a narrative of your experience. Did you learn anything after reading about the fire in the waymark? Photos are always welcome too. Please no virtual visits.