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 anigó
the mountain sacred to the Catalans (Canigou) is situated between
the areas of the Conflent, the Vallespir and the Ripollès
and dominates the Rosselló plain (Roussillon). Culminating
at 2784 metres, it is visible from Prada, from Perpinyà
and from Figueres, its majesty is apparent on the horizon from
the sea, Languedoc and Provence. Without contest, Canigó
is a powerful symbol, described by poets and hikers. In the
19th Century the writer Jacint Verdaguer himself dedicated a
long poem with surrealist echoes, soberly entitled Canigó,
today a classic of Catalan literature.
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Periodically
threatened by the tourism movement, the site of Canigó
has conserved its virginity which presents a challenge to the
sports fanatics of the world who appreciate Canigou’s rock-climbing
tracks, its vast plateaux and its refuges at Marialles and Cortalets.
Since the 1960s Canigó has welcomed the celebrations
of the festival of Sant Joan (St John) on June 23 each year.
On this date the Trobada del Canigó (Canigó Reunion)
gathers thousands of people around the peak for a night of symbolically
sleeping under the stars. Hundreds of torches brought from the
Catalan villages are lit by the Flama del Canigó to feed
the numerous bonfires held throughout Catalonia. At 1100 metres
on the southern flank of Canigó is the Abbey of Sant
Martí del Canigó, with its examples of primitive
Roman Art, welcoming the public since 1932 after a restoration
which put an end to more than a century of neglect. Canigó
plays a daily part in its environment and the economy. On the
Rosselló plain the west wind is called the Canigonenc,
and numerous business enterprises are represented by the term
Canigó in their name or by its image. In terms of real
estate, like a view of the sea, a view of Canigó is a
sought after commodity and adds value to a property.
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