Grand Council (Switzerland)

The Grand Council (German: Grosser Rat; French: Grand Conseil; Italian: Gran Consiglio) was the enlarged legislative body in the cities of the Old Swiss Confederation between the 14th and early 16th centuries, and later served as one of two chambers of the Helvetic Republic parliament from 1798 to 1800. In the confederation cities, the Grand Council emerged as the bourgeoisie gained increasing political weight against the city lords and ruling nobility, forcing the authorities to secure broader support for important decisions.

Today, several Swiss cantons continue to use the term "Grand Council" for their cantonal legislatures, maintaining a direct institutional connection to these historical bodies.

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