El Gran Carlemany (The Great Charlemagne) is the national anthem of Andorra. The text ("The great Charlemagne, my father, freed me from the Arabs. And from heaven he gave me the life of Meritxel, the great mother. I was born a princess, a virgin, neutral between two nations. I am the only remaining daughter of the Carolingian Empire...") is the music of Juan Benlloch y Vivó (1864-1926) - Bishop of Urgell from 1906 to 1918, and therefore Prince of Andorra - the music of Enric Marfany Bons (1871-1942). Published in 1914, it was declared the national anthem by the Andorran Parliament Consell General de les Valls on 2 April 1917. Designed after the book of the National Anthem of Andorra, the image of Benlloch y Vivós was replaced by the first bars of the anthem in musical notation. Surrounded by an ornament, there is "Himne Andorrà" (Andorran national anthem), and underneath it is an arched scroll "chor unison i acompanyament" (choir and accompaniment - meaning that of an organ). At the bottom left is - cut - "Lletra del ... i llm ... lloch i Vivó" (text by ... "LL.M" = Master of Laws ... lloch i Vivó), on the right "Música (music) ... mos... En..." Below is the coat of arms of Benloch y Vivós with the five-pointed crown of the Andorran prince. |
