100 Years of the Andorran National Anthem

An excerpt from the anthem published in 1914. At the centre, the opening bars of the anthem appear in musical notation, framed by a floral motif with the inscription 'Himne Andorrà' (Andorran Anthem). Above, the year of issue '2017' and the legend '100 anys de l'himne d'Andorra' (100 Years of the Andorran Anthem). The coin marks the centenary of the anthem's adoption as Andorra's national hymn by the Andorran parliament (Consell General) on 2 April 1917.

Andorra is one of the few countries in the world to exist to this day without its own military and without formal EU membership — and yet it possesses a pronounced national identity. A central element of this identity is the national anthem, the "Himne Andorrà." Its lyrics were written by Joan Benlloch i Vivó, then Bishop of Urgell and thus one of Andorra's two co-princes, and set to music in 1914. The anthem thus combines two traits characteristic of Andorra: the close intertwining of religious authority and state sovereignty on the one hand, and the Catalan language as a cultural foundation on the other. The principality between France and Spain has preserved Catalan as its sole official language, setting it apart from all its neighboring states.

In its lyrics, the anthem reflects the self-image of a small state that has defended its independence since the Paréage treaty of 1278 — an agreement that established the joint rule of the Bishop of Urgell and the Count of Foix and remains in force in modified form to this day. The anthem's tone is correspondingly rooted in history: it invokes the country's freedom and permanence not in a triumphant manner but in a sober, steadfast one. Andorra marked a state anniversary for the anthem in 2018, when the hundredth anniversary of the "Himne Andorrà" was celebrated.