- Culture
Church of Sant Miquel d’Engolasters: Romanesque in Andorra
12th-century Romanesque, with one of the country's most striking bell towers
If you enjoy losing yourself in small villages and stepping inside churches that have barely changed in centuries, the church of Sant Miquel d’Engolasters is a stop well worth making. It is one of the most recognisable Romanesque churches in the Principality, with a very tall bell tower that catches your eye as soon as you arrive, in the parish of Escaldes-Engordany.
History of the Church of Sant Miquel d’Engolasters
It was built in the 12th century, at the height of Andorran Romanesque, although the exact year is not recorded. It keeps almost all of its original features, apart from later additions such as the portico. It has a rectangular plan with a single nave and a semicircular apse, a gabled roof and a bell tower of about 17 metres, very tall for the size of the nave. Up at the top, between the mullioned windows, look out for the sculpted heads: they are among the few examples of Romanesque sculpture surviving in the country.
As you enter, you immediately notice the simplicity of Andorran churches from that period: a wooden ceiling and whitewashed walls. Several of the country’s churches were built around the same time to a very similar design, as our guide to sacred art in Andorra explains.
The great attraction inside is the apse painting, attributed to the Master of Santa Coloma, from the 12th century. It shows a Maiestas Domini surrounded by the tetramorph, in which the Archangel Michael, who gives the church its name, merges with the symbol of Saint Matthew. What you see today is an exact replica: the original is in the National Art Museum of Catalonia, in Barcelona.
How and when to visit the Church of Sant Miquel d’Engolasters
You get there along the CS-200 road from Escaldes-Engordany, by car or by bike. Admission is free. To find out the opening times and whether you can go in on your chosen date, check the calendar at museus.ad or write to reservesmuseus@govern.ad (+376 839 760).
If you are coming in winter, with the ski season under way at Hotel Grau Roig, which features in the MICHELIN Guide, you can see it on a trip down to Escaldes, as long as the road is in good condition. Pair it that day with an afternoon at Caldea or with the Perfume Museum.
A must on your route
The church pairs well with an outing to the Madriu-Perafita-Claror valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Very close by is the Engolasters lake, covering about 7 hectares, next to the Hydroelectric Path, which tells the story of electricity in Andorra since 1930.
Whether you are on an easy walk with the family or a longer one with friends, set aside some time for this Romanesque church. If this kind of heritage interests you, continue with Sant Pere Màrtir.