The building was originally built as a private home for a wealthy local family, but over the centuries it became a meeting place for Andorra's community leaders. The council chamber inside has a long wooden table where representatives from all seven parishes of Andorra would gather to discuss the country's affairs. One of the most famous items inside is a cupboard with seven locks — one key held by each parish — that had to be opened together.
The thick stone walls of Casa de la Vall were built to last. They are so sturdy that the building has survived hundreds of Pyrenean winters without any major damage. The style of building is typical of the old mountain architecture of the region: practical, solid and made entirely from local stone quarried from the surrounding hillsides.
Today Casa de la Vall is looked after as a heritage building and visitors can take guided tours. Inside you can see the painted wooden ceiling of the council chamber, old portraits on the walls, and the chapel that was added to the building long ago. It gives a wonderful glimpse into how mountain communities organised themselves centuries before electricity, telephones or the internet.