Andorra-la-Vella / Andorra a Velha
Website:
english
is the capital of the Co-principality of Andorra, and is located high in the east Pyrenees between France and Spain. It is also the name of the parish that surrounds the capital.
The principal industry is tourism, although the country also earns foreign income from being a tax-haven. Furniture and brandies are local products.
Andorra la Vella is located in the south west of Andorra, at the confluence of two mountain streams, the Valira del Nord and the Valira del Orient, which join to form the Gran Valira. It adjoins the urban area of Escaldes-Engordany. Being at an elevation of 1,023 metres (3,356 ft), it is the highest capital city in Europe and a popular ski resort.
History
The site of Andorra la Vella (literally, "Andorra the Old") has been settled since prior to the Christian era — notably by the Andosin tribe from the late Neolithic. The state is one of the Marca Hispanica created and protected by Charlemagne in the eighth century as a buffer from the Moorish settlers in the Iberian Peninsula.
The settlement of Andorra la Vella has been the principal city of Andorra since 1278 when the French and the Episcopal co-princes agreed to joint suzerainty. Andorra La Vella's old town — the Barri Antic — includes streets and buildings dating from this time. Its most notable building is the Casa de la Vall — constructed in the early sixteenth century — which has been the state's parliamentary house since 1702. Andorra la Vella was, during this period, the capital of a largely isolated and feudal state, which retained its independence due to this principle of co-sovereignty.
Well into the twentieth century, the area around Andorra La Vella remained largely forgotten; indeed the state was not part of the Treaty of Versailles, simply because it was not noticed. After political turmoil in the 1930s and an attempted coup by Boris Skossyreff, an informal democracy developed.
In 1993, the country's first constitution formalised this parliamentary democracy with executive, legislative, and judicial branches located in Andorra la Vella.
During this period, Andorra also developed as a tax haven, resulting in the construction of modern banking offices in Andorra La Vella. The city also developed its skiing facilities, to the extent that Andorra la Vella was Andorra's applicant city for the XXI Olympic Winter Games, the 2010 Winter Olympics. However, Andorra la Vella was not selected by the IOC as a candidate city, following the evaluation report of an IOC commission. It also hosted both the 1991 and 2005 Games of the Small States of Europe.
The city's old town is characterized by old stone streets and houses. The central Església de Sant Esteve (Saint Stephen) church is part of the area that guidebooks often label as a picturesque part of the city.[4] This was built in a Romanesque style in the eleventh century. As mentioned earlier, the old town also includes the country's historic parliament building. Probably the oldest building in the city is another church, dating from the ninth century, of Santa Coloma.[5]
The city is the country's cultural centre, with the Government Exhibition Hall acting as a main theatre and museum. The piazza outside the parliament building is also the location of a number of events, and the town hosts a music festival every winter.
Català
Andorra la Vella és la capital del Principat d'Andorra i forma una de les set parròquies en què es divideix el país (12 km² i 24 574 habitants el 2007), essent-ne la més petita i la més poblada alhora. Està situada a la confluència dels rius Valira del Nord i Valira d'Orient, on formen la Valira, i es troba a 1.013 m d'altitud. Forma una aglomeració urbana d'uns 40.000 habitants amb la població d'Escaldes-Engordany.
La indústria principal és el turisme, tot i que també hi destaquen el comerç i els rendiments que deixa el capital estranger que s'allotja a les seves oficines bancàries, ja que Andorra és un país on no es paguen impostos. S'hi produeixen mobles, tabac i conyac.
L'edifici més emblemàtic de la ciutat és la Casa de la Vall, casa forta del segle XVI que és la seu del Consell General (el Parlament andorrà) des de 1702. L'església parroquial està dedicada a Sant Esteve màrtir, i conserva l'absis i el campanar romànics del segle XI. Al sud de la ciutat hi ha la interessant església romànica de Santa Coloma, de campanar circular.
Português
Andorra-a-Velha (em catalão Andorra-La-Vella), também denominada Vila de Andorra ou Cidade de Andorra é a capital do coprincipado de Andorra.
História
O local de Andorra-a-Velha tem sido povoado desde pelo menos a era cristã e tem sido a principal cidade de Andorra desde 1278, quando os copríncipes francês (o Rei de França) e espanhol (o Bispo de Urgel) tomaram posse deste coprincipado e partilharam a soberania. Em 1993, a primeira constituição do país que estabeleceu uma democracia parlamentar, cujos poderes executivo, legislativo e judicial estão localizados em Andorra-a-Velha. Nesse ano, Andorra torna-se membro das Nações Unidas.
Geografia
Com 23 587 habitantes (est. 2005), Andorra-a-Velha é a capital do coprincipado de Andorra e está localizada nos Pirenéus Orientais, entre a Espanha e a França. É também a sede de uma paróquia de Andorra com o mesmo nome (12 km²) onde situa-se também o povoado de Santa Coloma d'Andorra. É banhada na sua margem direita pelo rio Valira.
Monumentos
A cidade antiga está atravessada por uma larga rua no sentido Norte-Sul, aliás praticamente a única rua da cidade. No bairro central, uma rede de ruas estreitas conduz o visitante à igreja românica e à Casa de La Vall (século XVI), a sede do governo: a visita com um guia permite descobrir sucessivamente a cozinha, no primeiro andar, o grande salão (pinturas murais do século XVI) de onde se pode ter acesso à Câmara do Conselho, onde se conservam os arquivos no armário «das sete chaves» (cada uma das sete paróquias de Andorra dispõe da sua).
Andorra-la-Vella / Andorra a Velha
Website:
english
is the capital of the Co-principality of Andorra, and is located high in the east Pyrenees between France and Spain. It is also the name of the parish that surrounds the capital.
The principal industry is tourism, although the country also earns foreign income from being a tax-haven. Furniture and brandies are local products.
Andorra la Vella is located in the south west of Andorra, at the confluence of two mountain streams, the Valira del Nord and the Valira del Orient, which join to form the Gran Valira. It adjoins the urban area of Escaldes-Engordany. Being at an elevation of 1,023 metres (3,356 ft), it is the highest capital city in Europe and a popular ski resort.
History
The site of Andorra la Vella (literally, "Andorra the Old") has been settled since prior to the Christian era — notably by the Andosin tribe from the late Neolithic. The state is one of the Marca Hispanica created and protected by Charlemagne in the eighth century as a buffer from the Moorish settlers in the Iberian Peninsula.
The settlement of Andorra la Vella has been the principal city of Andorra since 1278 when the French and the Episcopal co-princes agreed to joint suzerainty. Andorra La Vella's old town — the Barri Antic — includes streets and buildings dating from this time. Its most notable building is the Casa de la Vall — constructed in the early sixteenth century — which has been the state's parliamentary house since 1702. Andorra la Vella was, during this period, the capital of a largely isolated and feudal state, which retained its independence due to this principle of co-sovereignty.
Well into the twentieth century, the area around Andorra La Vella remained largely forgotten; indeed the state was not part of the Treaty of Versailles, simply because it was not noticed. After political turmoil in the 1930s and an attempted coup by Boris Skossyreff, an informal democracy developed.
In 1993, the country's first constitution formalised this parliamentary democracy with executive, legislative, and judicial branches located in Andorra la Vella.
During this period, Andorra also developed as a tax haven, resulting in the construction of modern banking offices in Andorra La Vella. The city also developed its skiing facilities, to the extent that Andorra la Vella was Andorra's applicant city for the XXI Olympic Winter Games, the 2010 Winter Olympics. However, Andorra la Vella was not selected by the IOC as a candidate city, following the evaluation report of an IOC commission. It also hosted both the 1991 and 2005 Games of the Small States of Europe.
The city's old town is characterized by old stone streets and houses. The central Església de Sant Esteve (Saint Stephen) church is part of the area that guidebooks often label as a picturesque part of the city.[4] This was built in a Romanesque style in the eleventh century. As mentioned earlier, the old town also includes the country's historic parliament building. Probably the oldest building in the city is another church, dating from the ninth century, of Santa Coloma.[5]
The city is the country's cultural centre, with the Government Exhibition Hall acting as a main theatre and museum. The piazza outside the parliament building is also the location of a number of events, and the town hosts a music festival every winter.
Català
Andorra la Vella és la capital del Principat d'Andorra i forma una de les set parròquies en què es divideix el país (12 km² i 24 574 habitants el 2007), essent-ne la més petita i la més poblada alhora. Està situada a la confluència dels rius Valira del Nord i Valira d'Orient, on formen la Valira, i es troba a 1.013 m d'altitud. Forma una aglomeració urbana d'uns 40.000 habitants amb la població d'Escaldes-Engordany.
La indústria principal és el turisme, tot i que també hi destaquen el comerç i els rendiments que deixa el capital estranger que s'allotja a les seves oficines bancàries, ja que Andorra és un país on no es paguen impostos. S'hi produeixen mobles, tabac i conyac.
L'edifici més emblemàtic de la ciutat és la Casa de la Vall, casa forta del segle XVI que és la seu del Consell General (el Parlament andorrà) des de 1702. L'església parroquial està dedicada a Sant Esteve màrtir, i conserva l'absis i el campanar romànics del segle XI. Al sud de la ciutat hi ha la interessant església romànica de Santa Coloma, de campanar circular.
Português
Andorra-a-Velha (em catalão Andorra-La-Vella), também denominada Vila de Andorra ou Cidade de Andorra é a capital do coprincipado de Andorra.
História
O local de Andorra-a-Velha tem sido povoado desde pelo menos a era cristã e tem sido a principal cidade de Andorra desde 1278, quando os copríncipes francês (o Rei de França) e espanhol (o Bispo de Urgel) tomaram posse deste coprincipado e partilharam a soberania. Em 1993, a primeira constituição do país que estabeleceu uma democracia parlamentar, cujos poderes executivo, legislativo e judicial estão localizados em Andorra-a-Velha. Nesse ano, Andorra torna-se membro das Nações Unidas.
Geografia
Com 23 587 habitantes (est. 2005), Andorra-a-Velha é a capital do coprincipado de Andorra e está localizada nos Pirenéus Orientais, entre a Espanha e a França. É também a sede de uma paróquia de Andorra com o mesmo nome (12 km²) onde situa-se também o povoado de Santa Coloma d'Andorra. É banhada na sua margem direita pelo rio Valira.
Monumentos
A cidade antiga está atravessada por uma larga rua no sentido Norte-Sul, aliás praticamente a única rua da cidade. No bairro central, uma rede de ruas estreitas conduz o visitante à igreja românica e à Casa de La Vall (século XVI), a sede do governo: a visita com um guia permite descobrir sucessivamente a cozinha, no primeiro andar, o grande salão (pinturas murais do século XVI) de onde se pode ter acesso à Câmara do Conselho, onde se conservam os arquivos no armário «das sete chaves» (cada uma das sete paróquias de Andorra dispõe da sua).