Editing Canillo (section)

==Culture and folklore==
The town figures into the Andorran legend ''[[El buner d'Ordino]]'', in which a bagpiper from the parish of [[Ordino]], en route to a festival in Canillo, is chased and treed by wolves, but frightens them off by playing his instrument.<ref name="RomànOliva2010">{{cite book|author1=Àlvar Valls Oliva - Roser Carol Romàn|author2=Àlvar Valls i Oliva|author3=Roser Carol i Romàn|title=Llegendes d'Andorra|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=grNP6uNi7OcC&pg=PA95|date=15 November 2010|publisher=L'Abadia de Montserrat|isbn=978-84-9883-340-9|pages=95–}}</ref>

The parish is intimately related to the national legend of [[Charlemagne]]. The legend explains that Charlemagne entered through the Valleys from Incles, and made a ring on the mountain of ''Pic Negre of Juclà'' to tie his horse, marking the borders between Andorra and ''Sabartés'' ([[Ariège (department)|Ariège]]), which It was in the [[Carolingian era]] ''Sabart'', a small town today annexed to [[Tarascon-sur-Ariège|Tarascon]]. Not far from the place it's found the ''Creu Gótica de Carlemany'' (Gothic Cross of Charlemagne), a tribute to the blacksmiths of the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.elcami.cat/camipedia/patrimoni-arquitectonic-de-canillo|title=Contingut camipèdia - Patrimoni arquitectònic de Canillo|website=www.elcami.cat}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.andorraantiga.com/llegendes-del-pais-del-pirineus.-andorra..html|title=Llegendes del Pais del Pirineus. Andorra.|first=Albert Daina|last=Marsenyach|website=El Coprincipat d'Andorra ara fa molt de temps.}}</ref>

[[File:Escultura a Carlemany en Canillo.jpg|thumb|right|''Sculpture to Carlemany'' located in Canillo's town.]]
Also the ''Creu dels Set Braços'' (Cross of the seven arms) can be found in the parish. The cross is the origin of the tragic legend about a boy from Prats who thought that the devil could go find him someday. He accidentally killed one of his friends who wanted to scare him to make him a joke after returning from the town of Canillo to bring a barrel of wine. The body disappeared mysteriously, some say by the devil himself. In the place where the accident happened, they placed a cross in order that the passers remember and removed the consequence of such ugly act. The cross had seven arms, like seven were the young people who wanted to make fun of their compatriot. One of them disappeared, and, strangely coinciding, the cross also lost one of his arms.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://visitandorra.com/ca/cultura/creu-dels-7-bracos|title=Creu dels 7 braços|website=Andorra Turisme}}</ref>

Canillo is the place of the Sanctuary of [[Our Lady of Meritxell]]. According to legend, a shepherd found the image of the Virgin on a winter day under some flowering roses and decided to take it home. The image, however, returned three times to the same place where it had been found. Finally, the Andorrans decided to build a chapel there.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.elcami.cat/camipedia/llegendes-del-santuari-de-nostra-senyora-de-meritxell|title=Contingut camipèdia - Llegendes del Santuari de Nostra Senyora de Meritxell|website=www.elcami.cat}}</ref> In 1873, the [[General Council (Andorra)|General Council of the Valleys]] declared her the patron saint of the country and on 8 September 1921 it was declared the National Holiday of the Principality.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.elperiodic.ad/opinio/article/37213/100-anys-de-patronatge-de-la-verge-de-meritxell|title=La Tribuna - 100 anys de patronatge de la Verge de Meritxell|website=El Periòdic d'Andorra|date=13 May 2014 }}</ref>

The original sanctuary was of Romanesque style and was completely restored in the 17th century. In 1972, the sanctuary burned down, being completely destroyed along with the Romanesque statue of the Virgin. The construction of a new sanctuary was entrusted to the Spanish architect [[Ricardo Bofill Levi]]. The new building was inaugurated in 1976. Inside it is still revered a replica of the Romanesque carving statue of the Virgin that was destroyed in the fire.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.plataformaarquitectura.cl/cl/02-261690/clasicos-de-arquitectura-santuario-de-meritxell-ricardo-bofill|title=Clásicos de Arquitectura: Santuario de Meritxell / Ricardo Bofill|date=May 21, 2013|website=Plataforma Arquitectura}}</ref>

The sanctuary was declared a [[Minor basilica]] on 13 May 2014 by [[Pope Francis]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://opusdei.org/ca-es/article/el-papa-francesc-concedeix-al-santuari-de-meritxell-el-titol-de-basilica/|title=El Papa Francesc concedeix al Santuari de Meritxell el títol de basílica|website=opusdei.org}}</ref> and joined the [[Marian Route]] (''Ruta Mariana''), a cultural-religious nature route, together with [[Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar|Our Lady of the Pillar]], [[Torreciudad|Our Lady of Torreciudad]], [[Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey|Our Lady of Montserrat]] and [[Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes|Our Lady of Lourdes]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rutamariana.com/la-ruta-mariana/|title=La Ruta Mariana}}</ref>