Church of Santa Coloma

Santa Coloma is the oldest surviving church in Andorra, a small single-nave building from the eighth or ninth century with a round bell tower of the twelfth added beside it, one of very few round towers in the Pyrenees. Romanesque murals covered the interior; they were removed and sold in the twentieth century, ended up in Berlin, and have since been returned and reinstalled as a projection reconstructing what was there.

Background

The church stands in the village of Santa Coloma, in the parish of Andorra la Vella, and its patron is Columba of Sens, who is also the patron saint of the whole country. Its nave dates from the 8th or 9th century and the tower from the 12th, when the building was also renovated. Remnants of 12th century murals by the painter known as the Master of Santa Coloma can still be seen inside. Most of the paintings were taken off the walls in 1933 and spent the years until 2007 in Berlin, and they are now shown in an exhibition hall in Andorra.

Source: Wikipedia, "Church of Santa Coloma d'Andorra"

What's there

• The pre-Romanesque nave - the eighth or ninth-century core of the building.
• The round bell tower - the twelfth-century Lombard tower, rare in the Pyrenees.
• The mural reconstruction - the projection restoring the removed paintings to the walls.
• The wooden Virgin - the Romanesque carved figure associated with the church.

When to go

Year round; guided visits run at set times and the church is otherwise locked. Winter hours are reduced. Booking is advised in season.

Things to know

The church is locked outside guided visit times, so turning up unannounced usually means seeing only the exterior. The original murals are not on the walls; the display is a projection. The building is very small.

Nearby

Andorra la Vella is north, and Sant Julià de Lòria is south.

Key facts