Editing Andorra (section)

===Middle Ages: The Paréages and the founding of the Co-Principality===
[[File:Esgl%C3%A9sia_de_Sant_Joan_de_Caselles_-_7.jpg|left|thumb|[[Sant Joan de Caselles]] church, dating from the 11th century, part of the Andorran Romanesque heritage]]
Before 1095, Andorra had no military protection, and the bishop of Urgell, who knew that the count of Urgell wanted to reclaim the Andorran valleys,<ref name=elements/> asked the [[Lord of Caboet]] for help and protection. In 1095, the lord of Caboet and the bishop of Urgell signed under oath a declaration of their co-sovereignty over Andorra. [[Arnalda de Caboet]], daughter of Arnau of Caboet, married the viscount of Castellbò. Their daughter, [[Ermessenda de Castellbò]],<ref>{{Cite GREC|title=Ermessenda de Castellbò|ermessenda-de-castellbo}}</ref> married the [[count of Foix]], [[Roger-Bernard II, Count of Foix|Roger-Bernard II]]. Roger-Bernard II and Ermessenda shared rule over Andorra with the bishop of Urgell.

In the 13th century, a military dispute arose between the bishop of Urgell and the count of Foix as aftermath of the [[Cathar Crusade]]. The conflict was resolved in 1278 with the mediation of the [[king of Aragon]], [[Peter III of Aragon|Peter III]], between the bishop and the count, by the signing of the [[Paréage of Andorra 1278|first paréage]], which provided that Andorra's sovereignty be shared between the count of Foix<ref name=elements/> (whose title would ultimately transfer to the French head of state) and the bishop of Urgell, in [[Catalonia]]. This gave the principality its territory and political form.{{sfn|Armengol Aleix|2009|pp = 96 a 146}}{{sfn|Guillamet Anton|2009}}

A second paréage was signed in 1288 after a dispute when the count of Foix ordered the construction of a castle in Roc d'Enclar.{{sfn|Armengol Aleix|2009|pp = 96 a 146}}{{sfn|Guillamet Anton|2009}} The document was ratified by the noble notary [[County of Cerdanya|Jaume Orig of Puigcerdà]], and construction of military structures in the country was prohibited.{{sfn|Guillamet Anton|2009|pp = 60, 61}}{{sfn|Armengol Aleix|2009|pp = 96 a 146}}

In 1364, the political organisation of the country named the figure of the [[syndic]] (now spokesman and president of the parliament) as representative of the Andorrans to their co-princes, making possible the creation of [[Parishes of Andorra|local departments]] (comuns, quarts and veïnats). After being ratified by Bishop Francesc Tovia and Count [[John I, Count of Foix|John I]], the Consell de la Terra or [[General Council (Andorra)|Consell General de les Valls]] (General Council of the Valleys) was founded in 1419, the second oldest parliament in Europe. The syndic Andreu d'Alàs and the General Council organised the creation of the [[Politics of Andorra#Judicial branch|Justice Courts]] (La Cort de Justicia) in 1433 with the co-princes and the collection of taxes like foc i lloc (literally "fire and site", a national tax active since then).{{sfn|Guillamet Anton|2009|pp = 78, 79, 80, 81, 88, 89}}{{sfn|Armengol Aleix|2009}}

[[File:065_Absis_de_Sant_Miquel_d%27Engolasters.jpg|right|thumb|Apse fresco of [[Església de Sant Miquel d'Engolasters|Sant Miquel d'Engolasters]] church, painted by Mestre de Santa Coloma during the 12th century<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.museunacional.cat/ca/colleccio/absis-dengolasters/mestre-de-santa-coloma-dandorra/015972-000|title=Absis d'Engolasters – Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya|website=Museunacional.cat|date=5 December 2013 |access-date=3 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803153242/http://www.museunacional.cat/ca/colleccio/absis-dengolasters/mestre-de-santa-coloma-dandorra/015972-000|archive-date=3 August 2017}}</ref>]]

Although there are remains of ecclesiastical works dating before the 9th century (Sant Vicenç d'Enclar or [[Església de Santa Coloma]]), Andorra developed exquisite [[Romanesque Art and Architecture|Romanesque Art]] during the 9th through 14th centuries, particularly in the construction of churches, bridges, religious murals and statues of the [[Virgin and Child]] ([[Our Lady of Meritxell]] being the most important).{{sfn|Armengol Aleix|2009}} Nowadays, the [[List of regional characteristics of Romanesque churches#Romanesque churches in Spain, Portugal and Andorra|Romanesque]] buildings that form part of [[Cultural Heritage of Andorra|Andorra's cultural heritage]] stand out in a remarkable way, with an emphasis on [[Església de Sant Esteve]], [[Sant Joan de Caselles]], [[Església de Sant Miquel d'Engolasters]], [[Sant Martí de la Cortinada]] and the medieval bridges of [[Pont de la Margineda|Margineda]] and [[Pont dels Escalls|Escalls]] among many others.{{sfn|Guillamet Anton|2009|pp = 48, 49}}{{sfn|Armengol Aleix|2009|pp = 150 a 194}}

The Catalan Pyrenees were embryonic of the [[Catalan language]] at the end of the 11th century. Andorra was influenced by this language, which was adopted locally decades before it expanded to the rest of the Crown of Aragon.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://webs.racocatala.cat/cat1714/d/histcat.pdf|title=HISTÒRIA DE LA LLENGUA CATALANA|website=Racocatala.cat|access-date=3 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304035808/http://webs.racocatala.cat/cat1714/d/histcat.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>

The local economy during the [[Middle Ages]] was based on livestock, agriculture, furs and weavers. Later, at the end of the 11th century, the first [[Bloomery#Early to Medieval Europe|iron foundries]] began to appear in Northern Parishes like [[Ordino]], much appreciated by the master artisans who developed the art of the forges, an important economic activity in the country from the 15th century.{{sfn|Armengol Aleix|2009}}