Our Lady of Meritxell
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(September 2011) |
| Our Lady of Meritxell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also called | Diada de Meritxell, festivitat de Nostra Senyora de Meritxell |
| Observed by | Andorra |
| Date | 8 September |
| Next time | 8 September 2025 |
| Frequency | annual |
Our Lady of Meritxell(Catalan:Mare de Déu de Meritxell,IPA:[ˈmaɾəðəˈðewðəməɾiˈtʃeʎ]) is anAndorranRoman Catholicstatuedepicting anapparition of the Virgin Mary.Our Lady of Meritxell is thepatron saintofAndorra.[1]The original statue dated from the late 12th century. However, thechapelin which it was housed burned down on 8 September 1972, and the statue was destroyed. Areplicacan be found in the new Meritxell Basilica, designed in 1976 byRicardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura.
TheCatalanphilologistJoan Corominessays thatMeritxellis a diminutive ofmerig,from theLatinmeridiem( "midday" ). Merig is a name used by shepherds to denote a pasture with a lot of sun.[2]
The image wascanonically crownedbyPope Benedict XVon 8 September 1921.
Legend
[edit]
In the late 12th century, on January 6, a wildrosein bloom was found by villagers fromMeritxellgoing toMassinCanillo.It was out of season and at its base was found a statue of theVirgin and Child. The statue was placed in the Canillo church. However, the statue was found under the same wild rose the next day.The statue was takento the church ofEncamp.However, as before, the statue was again found under the same wild rose on the next day. As in similar legends elsewhere, the villagers of Meritxell took this as a sign and decided to build a new chapel in their town after they found an open space miraculously untouched by the winter snows. [1]
Influence
[edit]
September 8 is both the feast day of Our Lady of Meritxell and the Andorran National Day.[4][5]
The image is mentioned in theanthem of Andorra.[6]
"Meritxell" is a relatively frequent female name among Andorran women and otherCatalan-speaking women.
Notable persons with the name include:
- Meritxell Lavanchy, actress.
- Meritxell Mateu i Pi,former foreign minister of Andorra.
- Meritxell Batet Lamaña,member of theCouncil of Europe.
The hospital,Nostra Senyora de Meritxell Hospitalis also named after her.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ab"Historic Ensemble of Meritxell", Museus Ad, Departament de Patrimoni Cultural
- ^"Meritxell Chapel".Archived fromthe originalon 2014-01-09.Retrieved2008-09-16.
- ^"Meritxell: un segle amb corona | BonDia Diari digital d'Andorra".bondia.ad(in Catalan). 23 March 2021.
- ^"Our Lady of Meritxell Day", Andorra Turisme
- ^"On the Occasion of Our Lady of Meritxell Day in Andorra", U.S. Dept. of State, September 6, 2016
- ^"El Gran Carlemany", National Anthems