Casa de la Vall
Sixteenth-century stone manor that served as Andorra's parliament house for over three centuries.
Casa de la Vall stands on a terrace above the old quarter of Andorra la Vella, a fortified stone house raised in 1580 for the Busquets, a prosperous family from Ordino. Its square plan, slate roof, defensive tower and carved window surrounds are typical of Pyrenean seigneurial building. The General Council of the Valleys acquired the house in 1702 and adapted it as the seat of Andorran government, a role it held until 2011, when the legislature moved to the neighbouring Consell General building.
Guided tours lead through the rooms that shaped Andorran public life: the kitchen, the former courtroom on the ground floor and the council chamber above, where the Cabinet of the Seven Keys stands. That iron-bound chest, opened only when all seven parish representatives were present, held the Manual Digest and other founding documents of the co-principality. Murals dating from the sixteenth century survive on several walls. The house was extensively restored between 2011 and 2015 before reopening to visitors.
Highlights
- Cabinet of the Seven Keys, the iron chest holding Andorra's charters
- Council chamber used by the General Council until 2011
- Sixteenth-century wall paintings and carved stone doorways
- Defensive tower and terraced garden overlooking the old town
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