El gran Carlemany

“El Gran Carlemany” (pronounced [əl ˈɣɾaŋ ˌkaɾləˈmaɲ]; “The Great Charlemagne”) serves as the national anthem of the Principality of Andorra. The music was composed by Enric Marfany Bons, and the lyrics were authored by Joan Benlloch i Vivó, written in a first-person narrative from the perspective of Andorra. The anthem was officially adopted on September 8, 1921, which coincided with Andorra’s National Day. In the lyrics, there are references to significant aspects of Andorran culture and history, including the heritage of the Carolingian Empire.

Enric Marfany Bons (1871–1942), a priest, composed “El Gran Carlemany,” while Juan Benlloch i Vivó (1864–1926), who served as the Bishop of Urgell from 1906 to 1919 and was also an ex officio Co–Prince of Andorra, penned the lyrics. The anthem was first sung at the country’s cathedral on its official adoption day, September 8, 1921. This date is celebrated as the National Day of Andorra, coinciding with the feast day of Our Lady of Meritxell, the country’s patron saint, mentioned in the anthem’s lyrics.