Issue date: 11 Feb, 2019
ANDORRA. VI Centenary of the Consell de la Terra (1419-2019)
Depositary of the sovereignty of the Andorran people, the Consell General d'Andorra is one of the oldest parliaments in Europe. It was founded in 1419 under the name of Consell de la Terra, at the request of the Andorran people themselves who sought to institutionalise the meetings held by the heroes of villages and valleys to deal with matters that affected the common. The right of foundation was granted by its two co-princes, the bishop of Urgel, Fracesc Tovià and the Count of Foix, Joan I.
The Consell was made up of twenty-four representatives of the parishes of the valleys, elected by their own inhabitants, and they were normally the most powerful heads of family. The Consell in turn elected a trustee, messenger or procurator who was responsible for ensuring compliance with the agreements made in the Consell de la Terra, in addition to formally representing the institution.
Their meetings dealt with issues that affected the group of valleys, such as water management, customs and relations with neighbouring territories, a subject that was extended over time to cover a wide range of issues; from tax and fiscal issues, such as the payment of taxes, exemption from taxes or the request for customs privileges, to commercial issues, such as the import and export of goods and even disputes over territorial borders, among others. The meetings often ended in the signing of agreements, decrees, regulations and laws.
In the beginning, the assemblies were held under the cover of the porticoes of the churches or in the squares of the villages, until in 1702 the ancestral home of the Busquets family was bought, which from that moment onwards constituted the seat of the Consell with the name Casa de la Vall.
The Consell de la Terra has continued throughout the centuries, evolving into the institution it is today. It went through the processes of the New Reform of 1866, the granting of all political rights to women in 1973, and the approval of the Constitution in 1993.
The stamp includes a modern illustration of the image of the Casa de la Vall and a symbol of a tricorn, making reference to those worn by the councillors in the early days.
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