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A Short History of Andorra

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Andorra, formally known as the Principality of Andorra, also referred to as the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, is an independent landlocked micro-nation in the south-west region of Europe, situated in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and it is bordered by France and Spain. The present principality was established in 1278 under a charter in 988. Andorra is known as a principality since it is a monarchy governed by two Co-Princes – the President of France and the Roman Catholic Bishop of Urgell.

There is no adequate documentation on the history of Andorra. No key historical works mention Andorra and below are some of the findings on the country’s history from a number of sources.

Boris Skossyreff, briefly self-proclaimed "King of Andorra" in 1934

Pre-Charlemagne Era

The valleys of Andorra have been occupied for thousands of years. Artefacts dating way back to the Neolithic period such as primitive jewellery and pottery have been discovered in the area. Bronze Age artefacts have also been found near the settlements of La Serra d'Enclar and Cedre. There is, however, very little documentation of this. It has been speculated by historians that the aboriginal occupants of the country were relatives to the Basque people of northern Spain and that Andorra was derived from Basque. Other tribes that settled in the country included the Iberians from the south and the Andosinos.

As some point in this era, Andorra was a section of the Roman Empire. When Rome collapsed, Andorra became a gateway for the northern barbarian tribes to pass from the Roman provinces of Gaul into the provinces of Iberia. A number of the tribes, such as the Vandals, the Visigoths, and the Alans left traces of their passing through.

Charlemagne Era

It is believed that the story of Andorra started with the Moor invasion of Spain when the armies of the newly-converted Berber Ibn Ziad Tarik came across at Gibaltar. When the Spanish King, Roderick, was defeated at Jerez de la Frontera, the Moors spread in the whole of Spain and the Christian peasants near the Pyrenees had to find refuge in the numerous mountain valleys, including what would be known as Andorra. The Moors were, however, defeated by Charles Martel at Tours in 732 but they still continued to advance into the southern region of France. The occupants of Andorra were not pleased about being viewed as a portal for the Moors raids, thus asking for assistance from Charlemagne.

Charlemagne fought against the Moors are drove them out of Andorra and other neighbouring Spanish regions. His aim was to stop the Moors from advancing into France. When the French armies left, the Moors came back and Charlemagne sent his son, Louis the Pious, to tackle them. Louis defeated them at a battle on the plain where river Valira branches. After the battle, Louis established the borders of the small proto-state, stationed a number of his soldiers in the villages, and created the original yearly tribute of two trout. He also put Andorra into the care of the newly-established Count of Urgell, a knight who was tasked with protecting France from raids from the Spanish region of the mountains. Charlemagne granted Andorra a charter in return for the part it played during the fight against the Moors. The charter was called the Carta de Fundacio d'Andorra and it established Andorra’s sovereignty.

The Counts of Urgell were the governors of Andorra but from the 10th to the 12th century, there were a lot of misunderstandings among the Church officers including the Bishop since it was not clear who held much authority in terms of both spiritual and feudal powers. The Counts of Urgell made a number of grants to the Bishop which transferred any outstanding rights to the Bishop, thus confirming the power of the Bishop. At this time, several grants from the Counts of Urgell and/ or the Bishop were made to the Vicount of Castellbo which were passed from Castellbo to the Count of Foix who had become heir to the Lord of Caboet via marriage. The Count of Foix, therefore, became the secular ruler over the whole of Andorra.

A conflict arose between the Bishop and the Count over Andorra and it was solved in the year 1278 by the signing of an agreement called the Acte de Pareage.  This treaty was later on backed up by another treaty called the “Magna Carta”. The Acte de Pareage stated that the sovereignty of Andorra be divided between the Bishop of La Seu d'Urgell and the Count of Foix. The agreement recognized the precept of equality of rights shared by the two rulers, thus granting the small nation its terrain and political nature. The treaty also stated that Andorra had to pay a yearly tribute called questia. This tribute went alternated each year, first to the Count of Foix, then to the Bishop of Urgell and so on. The tribute consisted of four hams, some wine, and forty loaves of bread. This agreement is still the foundation of Andorra’s political sovereignty and constitution. Tribute is still paid to the President of France who is the successor to the Counts of Foix, and to the Bishop of Urgell. In 1419, Andorrans requested the co-rulers for permission to create a local parliament which would oversee local issues. The request was granted which led to the establishment of the Council of the Land. The members of the Council were selected by the ‘heads of the household’ and there were four representatives from the country’s six parishes, making the membership of twenty-four.

Flag of Andorra

The French Revolution

As the years passed the title of ‘co-prince” of Andorra went through many hands on the French side of the border. Henry II of Foix was named Henry IV of France, and the title passed into the royal rule and Louis XIII confirmed the rights of Andorra. In 1793, however, the French monarchy was brought down and for the fifteen years that followed, Andorra did not have the security of the French government. The locals were worried that their Spanish ruler would use this chance to revoke their sovereignty and turn them into a subordinate region.

When Napoleon became the Emperor of France, he issued an Imperial Decree on March 26, 1806, that re-established the governance of the French government and confirmed the people’s rights of sovereignty. In 1870, France became a republic and the role of overlord became one of the powers and duties of the President of the Republic.

During World War II, Andorra was neutral and was used as a smuggling route from Spain to France. In 1958, Andorra made peace with Germany, after having been forgotten on the Treaty of Versailles that brought World War I to an end. The conflict had been extended due to the lack of a peace treaty.

King Boris I of Andorra

In 1933, a number of Andorrans, some in high offices in the government, supported the attempt of Boris de Skossyref, a Russian, to declare himself as King Boris I of Andorra. A few days later, he was removed from power by guardsmen of the Bishop of Urgell, but the end result led to the firing of the members of the Council of the Land by the Tribunal de Corts, which was the country’s judicial authority.

So as to make sure that law and order were not completely dissolved, the French government posted squads of gendarmes to maintain domestic order. Within a short period of time, the locals held elections and re-organized the Council of the Land. Men above twenty-four years were permitted to vote, and those above thirty were permitted to hold office. It was in 1970 when women were given the right to vote and hold office. In 1971, the required age to vote was lowered to twenty-one.

Andorra la Vieja, Source

The 1990s and after

Andorra officially became a parliamentary democracy in May 1993 after the approval of a new constitution via a referendum in March 1993. The constitution maintained the Spanish and French co-princes but reduced and narrowed their powers. Civil rights were increased including the provision for a sovereign judiciary and legislation of trade unions and political parties.

In 1991, the country entered into a customs agreement with the European Communities, now the European Union. On 28 July 1993, Andorra was given admittance into the United Nations.

Andorra Today

Presently, Andorra is one of Europe’s main duty-free shopping havens. Shopping constitutes a huge section of the nation’s economy. Tourism also makes up most of the remaining nation’s wealth. The main languages spoken in the country are Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, and French. The President of the Executive Council is the head of government in the country but the heads of state are still the Bishop of Urgell in Spain, and the President of France. The country is not a complete member of the European Union but is a member of the Council of Europe. Andorra does not take part in a number of European Union trade treaties, and other global organizations including the United Nations.