Itineraries05 December 2019

Andora "Walking among the olive trees"

The route, easy and suitable for families with children, has remarkable characteristics from an environmental and historical point of view.

The start of the walk is from Conna, in front of the Parish Church of Sant’Andrea. From the small square, a marvelous scenario opens up over the Merula Valley, the monumental area of ​​the Castle, the hamlet of Colla Micheri, the Pinamare hill, the coast, the sea. The route begins just beyond the church, from Costa Maggiore, a typical Ligurian village, the oldest settlement in Conna, which winds south along a pedestrian area. At the end of the inhabited center, the journey continues advancing among the olive groves and, after a long walk immersed in the "green gold", you enter, for a small stretch, on the paved road. The Provincial road offers a "breathtaking" view of the sea and leads to Garassini, where once there were several oil mills in operation. Along the road, an ancient wash house and a small church: the Oratory of the Nativity of Our Lady, today known as the Chapel of Maria Bambina.

New itinerary: you find yourself in Moltedo. Directly above the city is the U cavalin settlement, which dominates the Merula valley and where the stone ruins can be seen: once Moltedo stood there and then, according to legend, was abandoned due to the invasion of the ants. The history of the invasion of ants must have a real basis since the episode is also mentioned in the stories of other Andorran cities such as Castello, Costa Maggiore di Conna and Tigorella. In Moltedo, an oratory in honor of San Sebastiano, 1624, deserves attention. San Sebastian (Roman martyr for the Christian faith) is particularly revered in the Andora valley. Other chapels dedicated to him will meet along the way, such as Tigorella, Colla Micheri, Duomo.

[Andora castle, credit Alessandro Vecchi]

Then the route goes to a votive pillar, dedicated to the archangel Michael. Heading towards the valley, still among the olive trees, tourists arrive at Barò, where you can admire the oratory of the Archangel Michael from 1588. Once upon a time the Moltedo chapel was also dedicated to San Michele, but due to the clash between the two villages, the chapel was dedicated to Saint Sebastian. But the inhabitants of Moltedo, faithful to San Michele in his memory, built a votive column located at the entrance of Moltedo. Continuing towards the valley, the walk will take you across the bridge over the Merula stream and the village of San Bartolomeo. It is planned to visit the village of Lanfredi, where it is possible to admire the oratory of San Mauro, built by Gio Battista and Andrea Lanfredi in 1587. There are two interesting statues in the oratory, San Mauro and Sant'Anna.

When the walk is about to end, it is possible to admire, at the top of the "Poggio Ciazza", hidden among the green vegetation, the remains of the ancient windmill of Andora Molino. Upon arrival in the Duomo district, you reach the central square where the tasting takes place, then descend to the district of Molino Nuovo, from where the little train leaves for the tourist route to Conna.

Judit Neuberger

International editions:   English | Deutsch | Russian