100 Years of the Coronation of Our Lady of Meritxell

A Romanesque Madonna figure — Nostra Senyora de Meritxell, patron saint of the Principality — set against the interior of the Basilica Minor, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Meritxell in the district of Canillo. The years '1921' and '2021', the occasion 'MERITXELL' and the issuing state 'ANDORRA' complete the design.

The Virgin of Meritxell has been regarded as the patron saint of Andorra since the Middle Ages. According to legend, the figure of the Nostra Senyora de Meritxell — a Romanesque depiction of the Madonna — was found by the roadside in the 12th century in the hamlet of the same name in the parish of Canillo. The original sanctuary, a small church dating from the 11th or 12th century, burned down in 1972, destroying a significant part of the historic fabric. The Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill built a new sanctuary in place of the earlier structure, which was inaugurated in 1976 and has since been classified as a Basilica Minor. The sanctuary at Meritxell remains the country's spiritual centre and an important pilgrimage site in the Pyrenean region.

The coronation of the Marian statue in 1921 was an event of national significance for the principality: it officially elevated the Nostra Senyora de Meritxell to national patron saint and permanently anchored the figure in Andorra's national self-image. 8 September, the feast day of the Virgin of Meritxell, is a national holiday in Andorra. The image of the patron saint accordingly appears on Andorra's coat of arms as well as in numerous other official contexts. With the 2021 2-euro commemorative coin, the Principality of Andorra marks the 100th anniversary of this coronation, recalling one of the defining moments in its religious and cultural history.