ICOM Andorra Celebrates 40 Years of Cultural Heritage Preservation

ICOM Andorra, the national committee of the International Council of Museums, marks its 40th anniversary this year with a continued focus on preserving Andorra's cultural heritage and raising its profile on the global stage.

The organisation's origins tie closely to the Principality's cultural modernisation, which began in the mid-1970s under Lídia Armengol and gained momentum with the establishment of the government in 1983, according to secretary Xavier Llovera. Founded in 1986 in an unconventional manner, ICOM Andorra overcame initial hurdles since Andorra was not then a member of the UN or UNESCO. ICOM statutes typically require national committees to represent sovereign states recognised by the UN, its specialised agencies, or the International Court of Justice.

During a trip to Paris, then-education and culture councillor Roc Rossell met Federico Mayor Zaragoza, UNESCO's director at the time, and Patrick Cardon, ICOM's director general. They approved Andorra's full membership. Founding member Eudald Guillamet, who joined the meeting, noted that they emphasised ICOM's nature as a professional association, a stance Cardon endorsed.

Llovera credits this entry with strengthening Andorra's national cultural framework. In 1992, ICOM conducted its first public opinion survey on the need for a national museum, supported by international members. The 1980s and 1990s saw initial museology and museography studies in Andorra, culminating in 1994 with the foundations of the current museum system—a network of centres designed to link narratives and prevent content overlaps.

Key achievements included presenting the discovery of the rare aerinite blue pigment from the Cortinada frescoes at a 1990s congress in Dresden. Guillamet explained that analysis, conducted with chemists from Barcelona's Faculty of Fine Arts and the National Art Museum of Catalonia, revealed the clay-based pigment, native to the Pyrenees, in many MNAC paintings as well.

Today, ICOM Andorra has about 45 members. It promotes preventive conservation policies, interdisciplinary research, and views museums as active societal contributors. President Francesc Rodríguez highlighted building networks among museum professionals, fostering internal collaborations and ties with other national committees.