PICK OF THE WEEK: Andorra (Pyrenees)
Main places:
Andorra la Vella, Escaldes-Engordany, San Julia de Loria, La Massana, Ordino, Encamp, Canillo, Pas de la Casa
THE COMAPEDROSA PITAVOLA MARKET FAIR
From Friday 16th to Sunday, 18th September in Arinsal, La Massana
The historic centre of Arinsal will once again be the stage chosen to welcome visitors who want to enjoy a different and entertaining weekend. La Pitavola is a multidisciplinary event that was born to celebrate the anniversary of Comapedrosa Park, with the aim of being the annual meeting point for nature lovers.
The programme will include guided tours to exhibitions, workshops and conferences, as well as a market fair that will feature Andorran and Catalan producers and artisans plus some from Arieja.
This year the market will have a night version on Friday and Saturday until 22h.
The event will once again have a programme that will, throughout the weekend, offer activities for all ages and tastes. Guided tours to discover the corners and the species of the Park will continue from Saturday at 9h30 until Sunday mid-morning.
The offer of free workshops for adults and children is being expanded, always around the theme of nature.
This year too, there will be performances by the folkdance group Esbart dansaire de les Valls del Nord, inflatables for the kids thanks to Vallnord, and a new Chill-Out space, the Niu de la Pitavola, which will offer live music and tasting of craft beers, as well as some surprises and raffles.
MUSIC
v Saturday, 17th September at 20h at the Casa Rossell, Ordino. (Limited places. Advance reservation required on telephone 836 908 or email [email protected].) Enjoy the music of the ONCA in the great barn.
v Saturday, 17th September at 21h30 in the IQOS Lounge, Andorra la Vella. Patricia Mantovani at IQOS. We are waiting for you at the
IQOS Lounge, a place full of incombustible artists and unique experiences.
v Sunday, 18th September at 12h30 in the IQOS Lounge, Andorra la Vella. Vermouth session with Richy Vuelcom. Very refined organic house.
v Sunday, 18th September at 12 midday at the National Auditorium of Andorra, Ordino. (Entrance: €5. On sale from 1/09/22. Could be sold out. Very popular concert.) Concert of Meritxell DJonca: passion for music. National Youth Chamber Orchestra of Andorra with the collaboration of the National Classical Orchestra of Andorra. Jordi Coll, director. Guillem Vilar, musical arrangements. Breaking the stereotypes of a “typical” classical music orchestra, it aims to break all barriers with a show with the most successful songs, the greatest hits of the last 50 years. From ABBA tracks, to Catalan rock, a YMCA or to music by the most current DJs such as Avicii or David Guetta, among many others. Pop music, electro, techno, House… will be the protagonists.
v Thursday, 22nd September at 18h at Rock & Ribes, Andorra la Vella.
Concerts at Roca & Ribes: Quim Salvat. A series of concerts to support and promote the musical talent of Andorra. v Thursday, 22nd September at 19h at the Sala d’Exposicions del Govern, Andorra la Vella. La Fàbrica, a show of music, images and words.
Pere Girbau, guitar and keyboard
Carles Girbau, cello and keyboard.
A commission from the Miquel Martí i Pol Foundation that brings the brothers Pere and Carles Girbau, composers and performers, to create a show, based on the book La fábrica, by the poet Rodenc, in which music, image and words are mixed. The music is the guiding thread for the journey through the 17 poems in the book. The images that accompany the poems try to suggest, rather than recreate, the essence of the text, recited in an absolutely natural way, “without straining the voice”, as the poet would say.
THEATRE & DANCE
v Saturday, 17th September from 21h30 – 22h30 at the Saka de festa of the Sports and Sociocultural Complex of Encamp, Encamp. (Entrance 12€) Heart attack! Don’t go to the light! is the latest theatrical comedy by the actor and humourist Santi Rodríguez. They say that one moment before you die you see the film of your own life. But Santi Rodríguez has seen a play, a whole show about his way of defying death and his oath to enjoy this second chance that has fallen from the sky, and all of it in front of a theatre full of humour, with brilliance and with drama, a lot of drama. Costumes, lights, dramaturgy, scenography, an immeasurable actor and an unquestionable story. Do not go to the light! Come to the theatre! And enjoy the new work of an actor with seven lives and more, much more.
EUROPEAN HERITAGE DAYS
Almost all events in this series are outdoors and have limited places. Prior reservation required. Email [email protected]. or Tel 875 708.
v Saturday, 17th September at 10h. Meeting point: Grau Roig car park Grandvalira, Canillo. Retrace the Route of the Orris d’Encamp and transhumance life. Guided visit with the archaeologists. Approximate duration: 3 hours. It is recommended to wear hiking shoes.
v Sunday, 18th September guided tours from 10h – 13h and from 15h – 18h. Rediscover the churches of Sant Roc de Sornàs and Sant Ermengol de l’Aldosa de la Massana and the interventions that have been made there to guarantee their conservation.
v Monday, 19th September at 20h at the Church of Sant Serni, Canillo. Presentation of the book ‘Men and women of Canillo, at work!’, by Robert Lizarte and learn about the parish bells.
v Tuesday, 20th September Guided tour at 19h. La Margineda, Andorra la Vella. Meeting point: CG 1A (av. d’Enclar, Motocard car park). Stroll among historic buildings at the Roureda de la Margineda archaeological site.
Difficulty: low.
Approximate duration: 2 hours
It is recommended to wear comfortable shoes.
v Wednesday, 21st September. Meeting point: Sorteny Natural Park information point, Ordino. Observe the footprint of history on the mountain with the archaeologists of the study on human occupation in Ordino.
Difficulty: low
Approximate duration: 3 hours
It is recommended to wear hiking shoes.
v Thursday, 22nd September at 18h at Hotel Rosaleda, Encamp. How did the mills work? Get to know the mills and flour mills of Andorra. Presentation by the Minister of Culture Sílvia Riva of the book Moles i molins fariners d’Andorra, by Francina Pons.
19h Visit to Guillem’s mill…
v Friday, 23rd September at 10h Meeting point: Church of Sant Serni de Nagol, Sant Julià de Lòria. Visit Sant Serni de Nagol and walk the traditional path to Sant Martí de Nagol
Difficulty: low
Approximate duration: 3 hours
It is recommended to wear comfortable shoes.
CONFERENCES
v From Monday 19th – Tuesday, 20th September at the Andorra la Vella Congress Centre, Andorra la Vella. (Registration: http://www.universitatestiutardor.ad/) University of Andorra Summer and Autumn 2022. A world in a state of emergency: transformations and innovations. The 38th Summer and Autumn University of Andorra opens its doors with the title A world in a state of emergency: transformations and innovations.
In response to the events that will undoubtedly mark the decade, the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, we want to offer a space for in- depth reflection on an era in which the emergence and tension of a global war conflict are a daily occurrence for all of humanity.
The mission of the speakers accompanying us on this occasion is to give us elements of understanding of the situation from different perspectives and glimpse the transformations that are taking place and the news that are being announced.
PROGRAMME
MONDAY at 18h45
What sort of world after the war in Ukraine? with Sylvie Matelly:
Economist, deputy director of the Institute of International and
Strategic Relations – IRIS
TUESDAY at 19h
Wars, epidemics, use and misuse of humanitarian action with Ron Brauman: Director of studies of Medicines Sans Frontiers, President of Medicines Sans Frontiers from 1982 to 1994. (Language: French with simultaneous translation into Catalan.
v Thursday, 22nd September at 19h at the Thyssen Museum, Escaldes-Engordany. (40 places. Reservations in advance at [email protected] or at +376 800 800.) Series of conferences: Restoration of the work ‘Castell de Briones’. Continuing with the cycle of conferences started this season, Alejandra Martos, restorer and curator of the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Madrid, will present the restoration of the work Castell de Briones, by Gustavo de Maeztu.
Attendees will be able to learn all the secrets hidden behind a piece of art focusing on the restoration process of the Basque artist’s work, carried out especially for its display in the Andorran museum.
MARKETS & FESTIVALS
MEDIEVAL VILLAGE 2022
From Friday 23rd – Sunday, 25th September in the Parish of Sant Julià de Lòria.
FRIDAY
v From 16 – 20h – Exhibition against evil given (witches) – Casa Comuna, Sala Sergi Mas. Journey through the history of witchcraft in Andorra, through the stories of eight women accused of being witches. Documentary fund of the National Archives of Andorra and material lent by Patrimoni Cultural d’Andorra.
v 17h Opening of the market and Musical parade with the Group La Torna – Start at Plaça de la Brotherhood…
v From 17 – 20h in the Main Square.
– Demonstration of the art of glass blowing. Learn about this technique of making glass objects by creating bubbles in molten glass.
– Demonstration of the traditional carpentry trade. Get to know the technique of this ancient craft that works by hand with wood.
– Demonstration of the Rakú technique. Rakú is a millenary oriental technique of firing ceramics in which the four elements (earth, fire, water and air) are involved, resulting in unique and very characteristic pieces.
– Giant Andorran-themed wooden games (from 4 years old)
–Archery (Price: €4)
v 17h30 at the Reig Patrimonia car park – El Narigut traveling show with the cia. La Cremallera – Starts at Plaça de la Germandat
This grotesque-looking character hides behind this immense napia an endearing being who, despite his rough appearance, has a huge heart and will put all the villagers in his pocket.
v 18h Inauguration of murals. Inauguration of the murals of the public competition Walls that speak, where this year’s theme is the Romanesque-style Cultural Interests found in the parish of Sant Julià de Lòria, as well as the mural paintings or liturgical objects found there.
– Papaya Meeting Mural – Ctra. de la Rabassa (camino de la Creueta)
– Mural by Samantha Bosque – Av. Verge de Canòlich, 37 (in front of Casa Comuna) …
v 19h- Official opening of the Village – Plaça de la Germandat
Official opening of the Villa with the parish authorities and entertained by the musical group La Torna and the town criers.
v 19h30 – Traveling show: David the Ogre with the company La Cremallera – Starting at Plaça de la Germandat. David the Ogre and his butler are two characters from fantasy stories that recreate a distorted vision of reality with fiction. An action show that will surprise the audience with its gestures and plasticity.
20 h – Concert by the medieval musicologist Antoni Madueño – in St Julià’s parish church (Worth a visit in itself with mosaics created by one of the most renowned ecclesiastic mosaic artists of our day.CA)
The performance will bring us closer to the amazing world of medieval music and its mysteries, the magical power of the voice and the originality of its musical instruments.
– Musical parade with the group La Torna – Starting at the Plaça de la Germandat
v 21h Legends of Medieval Andorra: Saint John’s night with folkdance group Esbart Laurèdia – Plaça de la Germandat.
– Closing of the market
Lots more to follow in the Medieval Village over the weekend.
CHILDREN
v Saturday, 17th September at 11h at the Casa Rull Museum, Syspony, La Massana. (Limited places. Prior reservation required: Tel 836 908 or email [email protected].) Family Workshop. European Heritage Days. Learn to make a butterfly garden at the Casa Rull Museum.
LITTLE WEEKEND 2022
v Saturday 17th and Sunday, 18th September in different places in the parish of Escaldes-Engordany. (Reservations at 802 255 or at [email protected].) The most varied family activities: games, music, workshops, … and much more. Family weekend to share and discover with grandparents, mothers, fathers, uncles and aunts… everything that generational exchange can bring.
SATURDAY
– 11h – 13h30. Family workshops in the Parc de la Mola. Activities
and crafts in which the youngest and the oldest in the house will collaborate! An intergenerational meeting that will make everyone great!
– 11h and 12h. Music and creativity workshop with the ONCA (Orchestra) Foundation at Parc de la Mola. Dance and music so that families, young and old, can enjoy the musical event from a playful and festive side.
– 11h30. A suitcase of stories with Moixera and Líquid Dansa in Parc de la Mola. A suitcase full of stories waiting for someone to open it.
– 16h30 – 18h Family workshops at Parc de la Mola.
– 17h Tempus show with the Cia. What I have left of the theatre in Sala d’Actes, in the Comú building. The old clockmaker, Klaus, invites us to visit his workshop, a place full of clocks, but where curiously time seems to have stopped. Pure poetry that moves to the rhythm of the ticking of clocks and music.
– 18h Concert Beatles for Kids by the Abbey Road group in Plaça Coprínceps. A journey through the best songs of the legendary band where young and old can share the classics of the Liverpool quartet.
SUNDAY
–10h30 – 12h. Family workshops at Parc de la Mola. Activities and crafts in which the youngest and the oldest in the house will collaborate! An intergenerational meeting that will make everyone great!
–11h A suitcase of stories with Moixera and Líquid Dansa in Parc de la Mola. A suitcase full of stories waiting for someone to open it.
– 12md Concert by Cor Rock d’Andorra and family vermouth at Parc de la Mola.
EXHIBITIONS
v NEW. From Monday 19th – Friday, 14th October in the Lobby of the Cultural and Congress Centre Lauredià, Sant Julià de Lòria a Painting exhibition by Carmen Salillas. Opening hours: From Monday to Friday from 9h – 21h and Saturday from 10h – 13h
v NEW Until Saturday, 29th October at the Comic Museum, La Massana. Exhibition of the Cartoonist J.L.Fernán. Exhibition in memory of comic artist J. L. Fernán (1931 – 2020) with a selection of originals that illustrate his entire professional career in some of the most important magazines, from the 1970s to the 1990s.
v Until Saturday, 24th September at the Sala Sergi Mas, Sant Julià de Lòria. (More information at the Tourist Office of Sant Julià de Lòria, [email protected] or telephone 744 045) Against the given Evil (Contra el mal donat). Andorra’s Witches and female persecution.* This exhibition is an extraordinary opportunity to learn, through reproductions, 8 of the 52 original sentences and their transcription, which are preserved in the National Archives, of judicial processes against women accused of witchcraft in Andorra. Who were these women? Where did they live? And how did they relate to their environment? Opening hours: Tuesday – Friday from 16h – 20h. Saturdays from 10h – 13h and from 16h – 20h. *In 1601 the Tribunal de Corts (High Court of Justice) was created in Andorra in answer to Inquisition courts coming from Spain and witchcraft-related beliefs native to the area. (For more on the tales of witchcraft and sentencing see Judy Wood’s essay A Walk on the Dark Side – of witches and witchcraft and other strange matters starting on page 149 of Andorra Revealed. CA)
v Until Friday, 30th September from 16h – 19h in the Sala La Buna, Ordino Exhibition by Manuel Luna. v Until Saturday, 10th September at Espai Caldes, Escaldes-Engordany. Exhibition: A Poetry of Vertigen: Music and spelling. The poetics of vertigo, music and handwriting shows one of the most innovative musical trends of the second half of the 20th century: graphic music. Scores and other documents from David Sanz’s personal collection (correspondence, books, concert programmes, recordings, etc.) are exhibited: a geographical, sound and visual tour that allows us to grasp the birth and development of this musical trend, which is characterized by its interest in spelling as a resource for musical expression and creativity.
The exhibition is structured as a journey through different places that facilitate the theme of the exhibition: New York, Madrid, Barcelona …, where you can get to know the work of composers such as Schoenberg, John Cage, Krystof Penderecki, Sylvano Bussotti, Georg Crumb.
In addition, the exhibition allows you to get to know first hand the opinions of composers such as Helmut Lachenmann, Joan Guinjoan, Luis de Pablo or Josep Maria Mestres Quadreny, in videos where they expose their vision on the aesthetics and the works
Opening hours: From Monday to Saturday 9h30 – 13h30 and
from 15h – 19h. v Until Sunday, 11th September in the Government Exhibition Hall, Andorra la Vella. Miquel Martí i Pol. Solidarity ABCEDARI: an international and traveling collective exhibition in which three Andorran artists take part: Javier Balmaseda, Martín Blanco and Fiona Morrison. A tribute to the Catalan poet formed by the 26 haiku written for ‘Abcedari, a jewel of solidarity’ together with the interpretation of 26 contemporary artists and 26 writers. An exhibition curated by Gabriel Serrano.
v Until Tuesday, 13th September at 20h and 22h at the Centre d’Art d’Escaldes-Engordany, Escaldes-Engordany. Night time visits to the exhibition Fashion of the 50’s. Imagining the future. Night visits to the Quinto-Tinarelli Collection.
Those taking part:
Laura Luceño, Fashion teacher and investigator
Esther García, Art director and parade producer
Joan Font Denjean, fashion designer
v Thursday, 15th September at 19h Workshop tag in dressing. How to understand the tag codes. With Mercè Miguel Millan, historian of protocols…
v Until Wednesday, 21st September at Avinguda de les Escoles, 18, Escaldes-Engordany. (registration: http://[email protected]) Study by Miquel Mercè, Escaldes-Engordany: Ikebana series, the new winter photographs. Photography exhibition and open doors to the Mercè workshop.
Time: 8h30h – 13h30. and 14h30 – 17h30. v Until Saturday, 24th September at the Centre d’Art d’Escaldes-Engordany. (Limited places. Reservations: tel. 80 22 55 or [email protected]) See general opening hours lower down.) Fashion in the 50s. Imagining the future. Quinto Tinarelli’s Col·lecció At the end of the war, in 1947, Christian Dior presented his first collection with the name New Look. Creativity, aesthetics, spectacular evening dresses and accessories of the Golden Age of French Haute Couture. In the 50s, Paris was the World Capital of Fashion.
Activities during the exhibition.
Saturday, 24th September at 17h. Workshop: The New Look.
Jewellery as an accessory. Creating jewellery with reference to
magazines of the past 50 years, using the collage technic with
Sílvia Guillem, artist.
Opening hours: Mondays to Saturdays: 9h30 – 13h30 and from 15h – 19h. Sundays in August: 9h30 – 13h30.
v Until Friday, 30th September. From 8h – 15h at the Exhibition hall of the Comú d’Encamp, Encamp. Epiphanies and false gods, an exhibition by Alicia Luño.
Following her solo debut at Pas de la Casa as part of “la Cultura no s’atura”, Alicia Luño presents ‘Epiphanies and false gods’ This is the second solo exhibition organized by the young artist, Alicia Luño. In this, through twelve paintings worked with acrylics on canvas and a little pastel, she reveals landscapes and elements of the Andorran physiognomy that are often recognized – and sometimes not, and which aim to make the public think about the greater importance we give to urban and totemic elements than to nature.
v Until Friday, 30th September in the Comú of Canillo (Register on 753 637 or [email protected] ) A retrospective exhibition of the very popular Andorran artist, Francesc Galobardes Carbonell showing landscapes of the parish of Canillo. All the exhibited oils are created with the spatula technique. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday: 9h30 – 13h30 and 15h – 19h and Sunday: 10h-17h
v Until Friday, 16th December, 2022 at the Galleria Alta, (up the little road above Anyós. View Map. By appointment only. [email protected].) Bruce Weber. Turn to the light.
v Until Saturday, 22nd October at the Taranmana Gallery, Escaldes-Engordany. ‘Balance in Chaos’ by Trudy Kunkeler. Pigments the colours of the earth: soft moss greens and browns, ochres of rich sienna, in reds and yellow, and burnt terra-cotta’s, reminiscent of iron and oxides naturally found in clays, colour the sculptures exhibited at the Taranmana gallery this September. Trudy Kunkeler (Dordreetch, 1944) works on the representation of nature, its constant
transformation, caused by human beings or geological activity: the collision of continents, clashes of earth, rockslides and timeless erosion as the following titles, that correspond to 3 different themes in her work indicate -: Fragmentation, Shifting matter or Change of elements.
Trudy Kunkeler studied vocational training in ceramics and crafts in Rotterdam and at the Free Academy in The Hague. Subsequently, she did a first year of training at Escola Massana in Barcelona with a scholarship from the Ary Scheffer Fund, followed by a second year at the invitation of Professor Maria Bofill.
v Until Sunday, 8th January 2023 at the Thyssen Museum, Escaldes Engordany. (Rates, with audio guide: €9 general admission/€5 for those 65+, those under 26 years, those with a youth card and Crèdit Andorrà customers. Free admission for children under 18.) Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 10h – 18h. Saturdays from 10h – 19h. Sundays, 10h – 14h. Closed on Mondays. The last access to the gallery will be 30 mins. before closing. The Carmen Thyssen Andorra Museum is hosting its sixth exhibition: Made in Paris: The Generation of Matisse, Lagar and Foujita, an exhibition that aims to reflect the cultural magnetism of Paris between the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Artists such as Henri Matisse, Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita and Charles Camoin are forerunners of new trends as a result of the evolution of Impressionism. Other artists around the world had also found a source of inspiration in this avant-garde and optimistic environment, such as: Thomas Hart Benton, Francisco Bores, Hermen Anglada Camarasa and the sculptor Baltasar Lobo, who permeated new trends such as post-impressionism, symbolism and fauvism in the French capital. Using metro lines, the tour covers the five mythical schools that coexisted during this period: the École de Paris, the Académie Colarossi, the Académie Julian, the École des Beaux-Arts de Paris, and the Real Academy of Belles Arts of San Fernando of Madrid.
Talking about Paris is also about music and, for this reason, the exhibition integrates a musical discourse titled Impressionist Virtues with a selection by the Andorran musicologist Josep Martínez Reinoso. Visitors will be able to delve into a synergistic experience through the performances of three French pianists and pioneers in the mid-20th century: Henriede Faure, Germain Thyssens Valentin and Magda Tagliaferro. The artists represented in the exhibition have a magnificent dialogue with each other and visitors will witness the most important social and artistic changes of the early twentieth century.
v Until Sunday, 27th August, 2023 at the Casa d’Areny-Plandolit Museum, Ordino. (Admission: €2.50. Free on September 25th and 26th. The last access to the room will be 30 mins. before closing.) Abracadabra: Illusionism and magic in Cal Plandolit. Discover one of the least known facets of the iconic Areny-Plandolit family – the connection between some of its members within the world of magic, where they stood out prominently on the Spanish and international scene during the first half of the twentieth century.
OUTDOORS
NOTE FOR YOUR DIARY: Registrations, here, until Sunday, 18th September.
v Sunday, 25th September at 8h30 meeting at Les Pardines, in the car park located just before the start of the track, in the Cortals d’Encamp, Encamp. (Member price: €12. Non-member price: €18. Registration +376 822 847 or [email protected]) Hiking trip to the Forcat lake in the Vall del Madriu. We will gain height until we reach Cap de Montuell (2,422 m) where we will stop to contemplate an extensive landscape. Then, we will follow the ridge until we pass the head of the Agols and enter the plains of the head of the Madriu which will take us to the Forcat lake (2,539 m). We will make a long stop here to be able to appreciate this unique place. The return will be through the Agols valley. Its pleasant path will return us to the starting point through meadows and forests.
Difficulty: moderate, demanding in terms of elevation
Approximate time: 8 h 30 min
Distance: 12.5 km
Positive altitude difference: 1,200 meters
Personal equipment: hiking shoes with good soles, breathable clothing and also warm clothing depending on the weather conditions, windproof jacket, sun protection (suitable clothing or sunscreen; cap; sunglasses can be very useful), water and food .
CULTURE +
v Saturday, 17th September at 12 noon and 19h in the Sala Sergi Mas, Sant Julià de Lòria. (Limited places. Prior reservation required at Tel 744 045, e-mail turisme@comusantjulià.ad or the Tourist Office of Sant Julià de Lòria.)
– 12h Dramatic visit for all audiences with the Sancia de Cal
Foguetó, turpentine maker from Tuixent.
– 19h Guided tour with David Mas, historian.
v Saturday, 17th September at 18h at the IQOS Lounge, Andorra la Vella. Emma Regada at IQOS. Emma Regada, sculptor and performer, born in the mountains of Andorra, who combines these disciplines with her other passion, pedagogy in art. She works in different art schools and conducts workshops and personalized courses. Her sculptural work focuses on earth materials such as stone, iron and wood, she plays with geometric shapes. In her workshop she explores other techniques and develops her projects such as commissions, jewellery and decoration work.
She has often participated in the cultural world, and has won more than 10 prizes and participated in national and international symposia (Bulgaria, Finland and Catalonia), and has created public monuments located in Barcelona and also in Andorra.
Look for about the author of the blog Clare Allcard
Look here for the whole blog “Cultural events in Andorra with Clare Allcard
See also Andorra travel guide
See also Pyrenees travel guide
See also France travel guide
See also Spain travel guide
