Meritxell
Place in Canillo, Andorra
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Meritxell (Catalan pronunciation: [məɾiˈtʃeʎ]) is a village in Andorra, located in the parish of Canillo in the north of the country near the French border. Our Lady of Meritxell is the patroness saint of Andorra.[2]
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Meritxell | |
|---|---|
Basilica of Our Lady of Meritxell | |
  Meritxell Location in Andorra | |
| Coordinates: 42°33′15″N 1°35′26″E | |
| Country |  Andorra |
| Parish | Canillo |
| Population (2012)[1] | |
• Total | 75 |
In the village is the Basilica of Our Lady of Meritxell, which replaces the original Romanesque style sanctuary burnt down in a fire in 1972. It houses a replica of the Romanesque carving of the Virgin that was also destroyed in the fire.
The Catalan philologist Joan Coromines says that Meritxell is a diminutive of merig, from the Latin meridiem ('midday'). Merig is a name used by shepherds to denote a pasture with a lot of sun.[3]
