13th Dry‑Stone Meeting Highlights Andorra’s Living Craft
From 14–16 November in Andorra la Vella, experts gathered to show how dry‑stone architecture shapes the country’s landscape, heritage and.
Key Points
- 13th Meeting of Dry Stone and Traditional Architecture held 14–16 Nov; ~150 attendees and 60+ presentations.
- Dry‑stone elements across Andorra include terraces, shepherds' huts, cortals, boundary walls, bridges and irrigation channels.
- Technique uses local stone and traditional craftsmanship, distinct from cement/concrete and aligned with sustainable, place-based building.
- Training courses and school programs are active; Madriu valley highlighted as a well‑preserved starting point for visitors.
If visitors do not want to climb an emblematic summit, walk to one of the more than 80 mountain lakes, shop along busy commercial streets or visit museums, dry‑stone architecture offers another authentic way to experience Andorra.
From 14 to 16 November the 13th Meeting of Dry Stone and Traditional Architecture was held at the Congress Centre in Andorra la Vella. More than 60 presentations by experts from Andorra and neighboring countries kept the attention of roughly 150 attendees over three days. The talks treated dry stone not merely as a building material but as a lens on history, landscape, agriculture, tradition, subsistence, identity and education.
Dry‑stone structures are present across Andorra’s parishes: terracing and retaining walls for cultivated plots, shepherds’ huts, small farm enclosures (cortals), boundary walls, orris, bridges, irrigation channels, and paved paths, among other elements. These features have played a central role in shaping the country’s landscape.
The technique is inherently sustainable and in tune with the natural environment because the primary material—stone—comes from the immediate territory. Dry‑stone work is distinct from walls built with cement or concrete: it results from skill, craftsmanship and patient construction methods handed down by earlier generations.
The meeting also highlighted the continuing vitality of the craft: courses offered in several places and the involvement of some schools point to a secure continuity for the art. Andorra contains many notable examples; a good starting point for visitors is the Madriu valley, with numerous well‑preserved dry‑stone structures, followed by excursions through the other parishes.
Exploring these constructions provides a tangible, authentic perspective on Andorra’s cultural and environmental history.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: