Renovations Unearth 12th-Century Secrets at Andorra's Sant Martí Church

Renovation work at Sant Martí de la Cortinada church in Ordino has revealed new structural evidence, including painted stone fragments from the original Romanesque apse and confirmation that a lateral chapel shares its construction phase with the bell tower, dating to the 12th century.

The discoveries emerged during roof frame dismantling as part of a comprehensive conservation and architectural lighting project led by the Department of Cultural Heritage, in collaboration with a contracted firm. Teams documented the upper wall sections of the presumed original Romanesque church, remnants of mural paintings, and construction phases of the modern-era lateral chapels.

A standout find concerns the chapel attached to the west wall, facing the main facade. Archaeologist Abel Fortó, overseeing the site, explained that two walls of the bell tower—the west and south—rise directly from the foundations, while the others rest on the chapel vault. This indicates simultaneous construction with the tower in the second half of the 12th century, rather than the modern period as previously thought. "It was creaking before because it wasn't right," Fortó noted, adding that the chapel's position away from the apse had long raised doubts. Mortar samples and other materials await analysis for precise dating.

Further surprises came from clearing 10 tonnes of fill above the vault of the Our Lady of the Rosary chapel, which follows the reconstructed apse. Among ceramic shards from the late 16th and early 17th centuries, workers recovered small painted stone fragments—up to 20 by 10 centimetres—from the original late-11th-century apse wall. These bear a subtle ochre layer, distinct from the known figurative murals like the lion, archer, and knight uncovered by César Martinell in 1968.

Cinta Pujal, head of Cultural Heritage, called the insights "very valuable and interesting" for tracing the temple's expansions. Officials described the overall evidence as "rare and exceptional," reshaping timelines once outlined by Martinell, who rebuilt the apse.

The project addresses roof waterproofing, perimeter drainage improvements against dampness, a cracked chapel vault repair, interior lime-paint repainting, electrical and heating upgrades, and exterior rehabilitation. Movable heritage items, including the main altarpiece, chapel altarpieces, and altars, are being restored in the Ministry of Culture workshop for reinstallation upon completion, targeted for autumn.

The effort supports the Strategic Cultural Plan 2030's Romanesque heritage review and prepares sites for Andorra's transnational UNESCO candidacy, "Material Witnesses to the Construction of the Pyrenean State: the Co-Principality of Andorra."