Sant Julià to close Juberri sculpture gardens and convert site to parish public park

The consuls of Sant Julià de Lòria, Cerni Cairat and Sofia Cortesao, this week presented a municipal plan to about 40 residents of Juberri proposing to close the contemporary sculpture gardens as they currently operate and convert the communal land into a parish‑managed public park. After months of work by several municipal departments with input from Andorra Turisme, residents at the meeting gave unanimous backing to the proposal.

The gardens began under a 2004 agreement with private promoter Nicole Grignon and opened to the public around 2005. Over time the site became a popular attraction, amplified by social media, drawing large numbers of visitors — including buses and campervans — particularly in summer and on holiday weekends. Neighbour complaints about congestion, blocked streets and garage access, noise, litter and the absence of basic services such as toilets and signage prompted the commune to seek a new approach.

The commune’s preferred option is to rescind the 2004 contract, progressively remove and rehouse most of the sculptures, and keep on site only works judged to have clear artistic value. Officials and residents specifically cited pieces by Andorran sculptor Àngel Calvente as likely to remain. Municipal leaders said they will pursue an orderly, negotiated process with the sculptures’ owner and other interested parties rather than enforcing an abrupt clearance.

The 2004 agreement required the private party to maintain the installation, not to promote it as a tourist attraction, and to dismantle it within three months if the commune terminated the arrangement. Officials acknowledged that enforcing a strict 90‑day deadline would be impractical given the collection’s scale and condition and said timetables could be extended to agree an orderly removal; they aim, where possible, to have the site cleared by next summer.

To manage visitor flows and reduce pressure on residential streets, the parish plans to shift tourism toward existing family‑oriented routes and attractions in the Juberri area — including the Camí de la Senyoreta, the Camí Macarulla, the Tamarro Lau route, Naturland and local mountain‑bike circuits — and to concentrate visitor infrastructure in the Comabella area, where the Macarulla route already runs. The commune proposes a strategic parking area on communal land at the junction of the Rabassa road (CS‑130) and the Coma Bella path; a technical project and cost estimate are being prepared. Officials are also considering installing a seasonal information hut to channel visitors away from residential streets.

Before deciding to close the gardens, the council examined alternatives such as opening a new access route higher up — judged prohibitively expensive — and charging an entry fee, which was considered unviable because visits tend to be brief and some pieces are showing wear. The council framed the closure as a response to long‑running resident complaints and urban‑planning principles that reserve residential zones for residential use and concentrate tourist facilities where services can support them.

The commune has already taken measures to limit impacts: in 2022 it placed signs prohibiting buses and campervans on one access street and has widened sections of the Rabassa road to create space for bus parking. Officials say they will not seek to replicate the gardens’ model elsewhere on communal territory, although they are prepared to mediate transfers of works to private sites provided new locations do not recreate the current problems for residents. Several private parties have expressed interest in relocating pieces, municipal sources said.

Nicole Grignon, reported to be 88, has rejected the proposed summer timetable, said she will seek legal advice and complained she had not been properly informed. Grignon has told media she pays monthly maintenance and insurance costs, intends the gardens to remain free to visitors and opposes some proposed relocation sites. She has said she is looking for a “responsible” heir or recipient who will keep the collection open to children without charging admission. Municipal officials note Grignon indicated her heirs do not intend to continue the installation’s upkeep, a factor cited in the commune’s decision.

The council stressed it seeks a negotiated, dignified outcome with the owner and potential recipients of the pieces while restoring the residential character and safety of Juberri. Once sculptures are removed, the communal land will be restored for local leisure and recreation as a parish‑managed public park.