Andorra · 600th anniversary of the Consell de la Terra

Andorra’s political system developed from medieval structures of rule. Since the treaties of 1278 and 1288, the Bishop of Urgell and the Count of Foix jointly exercised power. The succession to the count’s rights later gave rise to the position of the French head of state as co-prince. This dual rule continues to exist in constitutionally modified form to this day.

The Council of the Land enabled the municipalities to represent their common affairs of the valley before the co-princes. Its responsibilities included administering common interests, regulating levies and sending representatives. Political participation was initially not democratic in the modern sense, but tied to municipalities, households and social status. During the 19th and 20th centuries, representation was gradually reformed and the right to vote expanded.

The Casa de la Vall was originally built as a family residence and fortified house. The Council of the Land acquired the building at the beginning of the 18th century and subsequently used it for meetings and administrative tasks for more than three centuries. In addition to the council chamber, it also housed rooms for judicial affairs and archives. A historic cabinet with several locks served to store important documents; its keys were distributed among the municipalities. Since 2011, Parliament has met in a new building next to the Casa de la Vall, while the old building continues to be used for ceremonial and institutional purposes.

With the Constitution of 1993, Andorra explicitly became a parliamentary co-principality and a sovereign state governed by the rule of law. The Consell General passes laws, adopts the state budget and oversees the government. The co-princes remained heads of state, but their powers were constitutionally limited.

The anniversary was a suitable occasion for a coin because it illustrates the long development from estate-based municipal representation to a modern parliament. The Casa de la Vall connects this institutional continuity with a place immediately recognisable in the country.