Andorra Restores Key Heritage Items to Bolster UNESCO Bid

Andorra's Cultural Heritage Department has concluded 2025 with the restoration of significant movable heritage items from Casa de la Vall and Sant Martí de la Cortinada church, strengthening the Principality's UNESCO World Heritage candidacy, "Material Witnesses to the Construction of the State of the Pyrenees: The Co-Principality of Andorra."

The projects form part of a broader initiative to conserve and showcase Andorra's cultural assets. At Casa de la Vall, restorers addressed core items tied to the nation's institutional past. The six-key chest-archive, symbolizing the origins of the General Council's historic records, received thorough interior cleaning, oxidation removal and stabilization of metal parts, and a final protective layer for enduring care. The Baroque statue of Sant Ermengol—Council patron saint—together with its column from the disassembled altarpiece of Sant Esteve church in Andorra la Vella, underwent securing measures, surface cleaning, and minor aesthetic adjustments to ensure structural integrity and clear presentation. The Principality's oldest known flag received specialized treatment to enable its display at the building's entrance.

Work at Sant Martí de la Cortinada centered on the main altarpiece, a complex eight-month effort spanning 2024 and 2025. Technicians fixed lifting sections and performed delicate cleaning of the polychrome and gold leaf surfaces. Additional restorations covered altar frontals from the Virgin Mary chapels—on both Gospel and Epistle sides—a medieval money chest, a lectern, and multiple hanging lamps. Staff first compiled a detailed inventory of sacristy and oil room contents; the objects now reside in departmental storage pending 2026 reinstallation after conservation upgrades and enhanced lighting.

These efforts highlight key institutional and religious artifacts, with pieces set for return to their original sites next year.