The Canigó ( ca, Canigó, french: Canigou ; la, mons Canigosus or Canigonis) is a mountain located in the Pyrenees of southern France. The Canigó is located less than from the sea and has an elevation of . Due to its sharp flanks and its dramatic location near the coast, until the 18th century the Canigou was believed to be the highest mountain in the Pyrenees. Being between south and

Northern Catalonia Northern Catalonia, North Catalonia, ; french: Catalogne (du) Nord ; oc, Catalonha (del) Nòrd; es, Cataluña (del) Norte) French Catalonia or Roussillon refers to the Catalan-speaking and Catalan-culture territory ceded to France by Spain ...

, the mountain has a historical symbolical significance for

Catalan people Catalans (Catalan, French and Occitan: ''catalans''; es, catalanes, Italian: ''catalani'', sc, cadelanos) are a Romance ethnic group native to Catalonia, who speak Catalan. The current official category of "Catalans" is that of the citizen ...

Geography

The Canigó is located in

Pyrénées-Orientales Pyrénées-Orientales (; ca, Pirineus Orientals ; oc, Pirenèus Orientals ; ), also known as Northern Catalonia, is a department of the region of Occitania, Southern France, adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier and the Mediterranean Sea. ...

, south of Prades and north of

Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France, near the border with Spain and the Autonomous Community of Catalonia. The name ''Prats-de-Mollo'' comes from Catalan "meadows of Molló". Mol ...

. Its summit lies on the border between two communes:

Vernet-les-Bains Vernet-les-Bains (; ca, Vernet) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. It is a centre for visitors and holidaymakers. The village has a sunny climate (with, on average, 300 days of sunshine each year) and is set ...

and

Taurinya Taurinya (; ca, Taurinyà) is a Communes of France, commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales Departments of France, department in southern France. Geography Taurinya is located in the canton of Le Canigou and in the arrondissement of Prades. P ...

(although the territories of two other communes -

Casteil Casteil (; ca, Castell de Vernet) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France, part of the historical Conflent comarca. The abbey Martin-du-Canigou is located above Casteil. Geography Localisation Casteil is locat ...

and

Valmanya Valmanya (; ca, Vallmanya) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Valmanya is located in the canton of Le Canigou and in the arrondissement of Prades. Population See also *Communes of the Pyr ...

- approach quite closely to the summit). Its location makes it visible from the plains of

Roussillon Roussillon ( , , ; ca, Rosselló ; oc, Rosselhon ) is a historical province of France that largely corresponded to the County of Roussillon and part of the County of Cerdagne of the former Principality of Catalonia. It is part of the reg ...

and from

Conflent Conflent () is a historical Catalan comarca of Northern Catalonia, now part of the French department of Pyrénées-Orientales. In the Middle Ages it comprised the County of Conflent. The capital of this ''pays'' is Prades ( ca, Prada de Conf ...

in France, and as well from Empordà in Spain. Twice a year, in early February and at the end of October, with good weather, the Canigó can be seen at sunset from as far as Marseille, away, by refraction of light. This phenomenon was observed in 1808 by baron Franz Xaver von Zach from the

Notre-Dame de la Garde Notre-Dame de la Garde (literally: Our Lady of the Guard), known to local citizens as ''la Bonne Mère'' (French for 'the Good Mother'), is a Catholic basilica in Marseille, France, and the city's best-known symbol. The site of a popular Assump ...

basilica in Marseille. All year long, it can also be seen, with good weather, from

Agde Agde (; ) is a commune in the Hérault department in Southern France. It is the Mediterranean port of the Canal du Midi. Location Agde is located on the Hérault river, from the Mediterranean Sea, and from Paris. The Canal du Midi con ...

Port-Camargue Port-Camargue is a district of the town of Le Grau-du-Roi, in the Gard department in the administrative region of Occitanie. Built in the 1960s, it is today one of the biggest marinas in Europe. History In 1963, the Nîmes Chamber of Commerce ...

and the

Montagne Noire The Montagne Noire ( oc, Montanha Negra, known as the 'Black Mountain' in English) is a mountain range in central southern France. It is located at the southwestern end of the Massif Central at the juncture of the Tarn, Hérault and Aude departm ...

Trekking and sightseeing

Jeep tracks on the north side of the massif lead to the Chalet des Cortalets (at 2150 m) which is a popular outpost with walkers. There are two ancient monasteries at the foot of the mountain, Martin-du-Canigou and

Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa The abbey of Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa () is a Benedictine abbey located in the territory of the commune of Codalet, in the Pyrénées-Orientales ''département'', in southwestern France. It was founded initially in 840, and then refounded at its presen ...

Canigó Flame

The mountain has symbolical significance for

. On its summit stands a cross that is often decorated with the Catalan flag. Every year on 23 June, the night before St. John's day (''nit de Sant Joan''), there is a ceremony called ''Flama del Canigó''. French Catalans carry a flaming torch from

Perpignan Perpignan (, , ; ca, Perpinyà ; es, Perpiñán ; it, Perpignano ) is the prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France, in the heart of the plain of Roussillon, at the foot of the Pyrenees a few kilometres from the ...

to the cross and the Catalonian flag on top of the mountain, and people light bonfires throughout the area.

Literature

The Canigó inspired the epic poem "Canigó" by Catalan poet

Jacint Verdaguer i Santaló Jacint Verdaguer i Santaló (; 17 May 1845 – 10 June 1902) was a Catalan / Spanish writer, regarded as one of the greatest poets of Catalan literature and a prominent literary figure of the Renaixença, a cultural revival movement of the ...

. In these verses Verdaguer compares the snowy mountain to a Magnolia flower (pages 27–28): 500ptes

While he was staying in

in 1911, Kipling wrote about Canigou. In a letter to the Club Alpin, he praised it as a " magician among mountains". Kipling also wrote a light-hearted short story entitled ''Why Snow Falls at Vernet''. It makes fun of the English habit of always talking about the weather.

Notes

References

Canigó by Verdaguer; Full text - Wikitext

External links

Canigo.cat
All information about the Canigou massif: nature, culture and itineraries (in Catalan) {{Authority control Mountains of the Pyrenees Catalan symbols Mountains of Pyrénées-Orientales