The
Three Leagues was the alliance of 1471 of the
League of God's HouseThe League of God's House was formed in what is now Switzerland on January 29, 1367 to resist the rising power of the Bishopric of Chur and the House of Habsburg. The League allied with the Grey League and the League of the Ten Jurisdictions in 1471 to form the Three Leagues...
, the
League of the Ten JurisdictionsThe League of the Ten Jurisdictions was the last of the Three Leagues founded during the Middle Ages in what is now Canton Graubünden of Switzerland. The League was created in the County of Toggenburg after the counts of Toggenburg died out. The League initially existed to resist the power of the...
and the
Grey LeagueThe Grey League , sometimes called Oberbund, formed in 1395 in the Vorderrhein and Hinterrhein valleys, Raetia. The name Grey League is derived from the homespun grey clothes worn by the people. The league became part of the canton of Graubünden. The Grey League allied itself to the two other...
, leading eventually to the formation of the Swiss canton of
GraubündenGraubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
. Most of the lands of Graubünden were part of the
RomanAncient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
province
RaetiaRaetia was a province of the Roman Empire, named after the Rhaetian people. It was bounded on the west by the country of the Helvetii, on the east by Noricum, on the north by Vindelicia, on the west by Cisalpine Gaul and on south by Venetia et Histria...
in 15 BC. The area later was part of the lands of the Bishopric of Chur.
League of God's House
On January 29, 1367, the
League of God's HouseThe League of God's House was formed in what is now Switzerland on January 29, 1367 to resist the rising power of the Bishopric of Chur and the House of Habsburg. The League allied with the Grey League and the League of the Ten Jurisdictions in 1471 to form the Three Leagues...
, was founded to resist the rising power of the Bishopric of Chur and the House of Habsburg. Bishop Peter Gelyto reacted by transferring the bishopric to the Habsburgs in exchange for a
pensionIn general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
from the ducal house.
The instrument of union was signed by envoys of the cathedral chapter, the episcopal
MinisterialisMinisterialis ; a post-classical Latin word, used in English, meaning originally servitor, agent, in a broad range of senses...
, the city of
ChurChur or Coire is the capital of the Swiss canton of Graubünden and lies in the northern part of the canton.-History:The name "chur" derives perhaps from the Celtic kora or koria, meaning "tribe", or from the Latin curia....
and the districts of
DomleschgThe Kreis Domleschg forms, together with the sub-districts of Avers, Rheinwald, Schams and Thusis, the Hinterrhein of the Canton Graubünden in Switzerland. The district office is located in Fürstenau.- Geography :...
,
SchamsThe Kreis Schams forms, together with the sub-districts of Avers, Domleschg, Rheinwald and Thusis, the Hinterrhein of the Canton Graubünden in Switzerland. The district office is located in Zillis-Reischen.- Geography :...
, Oberhalbstein,
OberengadinThe Engadin or Engadine is a long valley in the Swiss Alps located in the canton of Graubünden in southeast Switzerland. It follows the route of the Inn River from its headwaters at Maloja Pass running northeast until the Inn flows into Austria one hundred kilometers downstream...
,
UnterengadinThe Engadin or Engadine is a long valley in the Swiss Alps located in the canton of Graubünden in southeast Switzerland. It follows the route of the Inn River from its headwaters at Maloja Pass running northeast until the Inn flows into Austria one hundred kilometers downstream...
and Bergell. Other districts joined the league subsequently, including the Poschiavo in 1408 and the Vier Dörfer in 1450.
For some time, Unterengadin,
MünstertalVal Müstair is a municipality in the district of Inn in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. It was formed on 1 January 2009 through the merger of Tschierv, Fuldera, Lü, Valchava, Santa Maria Val Müstair and Müstair.-Demographics:...
and the upper Vinschgau were disputed between the Bishopric of Chur and the
County of TyrolThe County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
. While the first two could shake off the rule of the Habsburgs as count of Tyrol, in 1618, Untercalven was separated from the League as the last part of the Vinschgau.
With its capital in Chur, the League was composed of the following districts:
- Chur
Chur or Coire is the capital of the Swiss canton of Graubünden and lies in the northern part of the canton.-History:The name "chur" derives perhaps from the Celtic kora or koria, meaning "tribe", or from the Latin curia....
- Bergell: districts of Ober- and Unterporta
- Calven: districts of Obercalven (Münstertal) and Untercalven (Upper Vinschgau)
- Domleschg
The Domleschg is a valley in Graubünden in Switzerland. Geographically, the name "Domleschg" covers both sides of the valley. Politically, the villages on the left bank of the Poserior Rhine form the Kreis of Thusis and those on the right bank form the Kreis of Domleschg. Thusis is the main...
: districts of OrtensteinOrtenstein is a castle located in Switzerland, near Tomils, in Graubünden.The initial castle at the location was destroyed in a conflict called "Schamserfehde" in 1451 but obtained the privilege to be rebuilt unlike other castles then....
(since 1788 divided into: Ortenstein im Boden and Ortenstein im Berg) and FürstenauFürstenau is a municipality in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden and the smalles town to hold city rights with a market right received from Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor in 1354.-History:...
- Greifenstein
Greifenstein is a community in the Lahn-Dill-Kreis in Hesse, Germany. Its administrative seat is Beilstein. Greifenstein covers 67.43 km² on the eastern slope of the Westerwald range...
: districts of BergünBergün/Bravuogn , is a municipality in the district of Albula in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. The double name has been the official name since 1943.-Geography:...
and Obervaz
- Oberengadin: (divided since 1438) districts of Sur
Sur was a literary journal published in Buenos Aires. Its main backer was Victoria Ocampo, and it was supported intellectually by the Spanish philosopher José Ortega y Gasset. Many of the earliest editions of Sur carry the colophon of Ortega's Revista de Occidente...
and Suot Funtauna Merla
- Oberhalbstein: districts of Oberhalbstein and Tiefencastel
Tiefencastel is a municipality in the district of Albula in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-History:Tiefencastel is first mentioned in 831 as in Castello Impitinis. Starting around in the 14th Century it was known as Tüffenkasten.-Geography:Tiefencastel has an area, , of...
- Poschiavo
Poschiavo is a municipality in the district of Bernina in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-History:Poschiavo is first mentioned in 824 as in Postclave though this comes from a later copy of the original document.. In 1140 it was mentioned as de Pusclauio. It was formerly known by the...
- Ramosch-Stalla-Avers: districts of Ramosch
Ramosch is a municipality in the district of Inn in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:In 1956-58, on the hill Mottata , a significant prehistoric site was discovered...
and Stalla (Bivio)Bivio is a municipality in the district of Albula of the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:Bivio is first mentioned about 840 as de stabulo Bivio. At one time it was known, in German, as Stallen and until 1895/1903 by its Italian name Stalla.-Geography:Bivio has an area, , of...
–AversAvers is a municipality in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. It includes Juf, the highest-altitude year-round settlement in Europe.-History:...
- Unterengadin: districts of Ober- and Untertasna
- Vier Dörfer
Grey League
The
Grey LeagueThe Grey League , sometimes called Oberbund, formed in 1395 in the Vorderrhein and Hinterrhein valleys, Raetia. The name Grey League is derived from the homespun grey clothes worn by the people. The league became part of the canton of Graubünden. The Grey League allied itself to the two other...
was founded in 1395 in the Upper Rhine valley, as a reaction to various feuds between the Barony of Belmont, the Lordship of Sax, the Barony of Rhäzüns, the Barony of Vaz, County of Werdenberg,
Disentis AbbeyDisentis Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in the Canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland, around which the present town of Disentis grew up.-Foundation to 19th century:...
and the Bishopric of Chur. The capital of the League was
IlanzIlanz is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:Ilanz is first mentioned in 765 as Iliande. Ilanz became the capital of the newly formed Grey League in 1395. The Grey League was the second of Three Leagues which eventually formed canton Graubünden...
. The name
Grey League is derived from the homespun grey clothes worn by the people; the name of this league later gave its name to the canton of Graubünden.
In
TrunTrun is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-Geography:Trun has an area, , of . Of this area, 23.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 34% is forested...
, on March 16, 1424, a governing federation was established, comprising:
-
The abbotThe word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
and court of Disentis AbbeyDisentis Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in the Canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland, around which the present town of Disentis grew up.-Foundation to 19th century:...
;
-
The Baron of RhäzünsRhäzüns is a municipality in the district of Imboden in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-Geography:Rhäzüns has an area, , of . Of this area, 23.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 69.1% is forested...
— for himself, his lordship and his subject communities of SafienSafien is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-Geography:Safien has an area, , of . Of this area, 45.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 18.2% is forested...
, Tennawas a after Enpō and before Jōkyō. This period spanned the years from September 1681 through February 1684. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...
and ObersaxenObersaxen is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:Obersaxen is first mentioned in 765 as Supersaxa though this is from a copy which dates from later...
;
-
The Baron of Sax-Misox — for himself and his subjects IlanzIlanz is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:Ilanz is first mentioned in 765 as Iliande. Ilanz became the capital of the newly formed Grey League in 1395. The Grey League was the second of Three Leagues which eventually formed canton Graubünden...
, Gruob, LugnezLugnez is a municipality in the district of Porrentruy in the canton of Jura in Switzerland.-References:...
, ValsVals is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-History:Archeological finds from the Bronze Age around the thermal baths and Tomül pass as well as Iron Age items on the slopes of the Valserberg indicate that this area was used before written history...
, CastrischCastrisch is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Until 1943, it was officially known as Kästris.-Geography:...
and FlimsFlims is a municipality in the district of Imboden in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The town of Flims is dominated by the Flimserstein which you can see from almost anywhere in the area....
;
-
The Count of Werdenberg-Heiligenberg with all his subjects, including TrinTrin is a municipality in the district of Imboden in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Crestasee is located in Trin.-Geography:Trin is perched on the mountain-side above the Rhine valley on the road between Domat/Ems and Flims. The village of Mulin is at the foot of the slope on the edge of the...
and TaminsTamins is a municipality in the district of Imboden in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:Tamins is first mentioned in 1224 as Tuminne. In 1225 it was mentioned as Tvminnis and in 1399 as Tumins.-Geography:...
;
-
Communities above the FlimsFlims is a municipality in the district of Imboden in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The town of Flims is dominated by the Flimserstein which you can see from almost anywhere in the area....
erwald, including RheinwaldThe Rheinwald is a valley in the Canton of Graubünden in Switzerland...
and Schamsthumb | The Schams north of [[Andeer]]. In the top left, the ruins of [[Cagliatscha Castle]]The Schams is a section of the Hinterrhein valley in the Swiss Canton of Graubünden.- Geography :...
.
Even before 1440, the lordships of Löwenberg,
ThusisThusis is a municipality in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-Geography:Thusis has an area, , of . Of this area, 18% is used for agricultural purposes, while 58.2% is forested...
,
TschappinaTschappina is a municipality in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-Geography:Tschappina has an area, , of . Of this area, 42.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 26.8% is forested...
and
Heinzenberg Heinzenberg is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany....
joined the League, despite the count of Werdenberg-Sargans having forbidden them from doing so. In 1441 Cazis Abbey joined; in 1480, the neighborhoods of
MesoccoMesocco is a municipality in the district of Moesa in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:The first human settlement in the area dates back to the Mesolithic era. Stone tools dating to about 6000 BC have been found in the Silex section of the municipality. At the same site, Neolithic fire pits...
and
SoazzaSoazza is a municipality in the district of Moesa in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-Geography:Soazza has an area, , of . Of this area, 7.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 53.7% is forested...
in Misox and, in 1496,
Gian Giacomo TrivulzioGian Giacomo Trivulzio was an Italian aristocrat and condottiero who held several military commands during the Italian Wars.-Biography:...
assisted with the union of the remainder of the county of Misox, with the districts of Misox and Calanca.
The Grey League was administered in eight districts:
- Disentis
-Demographics:Disentis/Mustér has a population of . , 8.9% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -4.7%....
- Lugnez
The Val Lumnezia is a Swiss high Alpine valley made up of the main Lumnezia valley, and a side valley, the Valser valley to the south-east. Located at , it forms also Municipality, which is composed of the communities Vella, Vignogn, Degen, Suraua, Vrin, Cumbel, Morissen, Vals and Lumbrein. Its...
: districts of LugnezThe Val Lumnezia is a Swiss high Alpine valley made up of the main Lumnezia valley, and a side valley, the Valser valley to the south-east. Located at , it forms also Municipality, which is composed of the communities Vella, Vignogn, Degen, Suraua, Vrin, Cumbel, Morissen, Vals and Lumbrein. Its...
and ValsVals is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-History:Archeological finds from the Bronze Age around the thermal baths and Tomül pass as well as Iron Age items on the slopes of the Valserberg indicate that this area was used before written history...
- Gruob: districts of Gruob, Schleuis and Tenna
Tenna is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-Coat of arms:The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Gules St. Valentin clad Argent and caped Or with his dexter raised in blessing and holding in sinister a crosier of the last...
- Waltensburg: districts of Waltensburg, Laax
Laax is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-Geography:Laax has an area, , of . Of this area, 35.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 30.6% is forested...
and ObersaxenObersaxen is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:Obersaxen is first mentioned in 765 as Supersaxa though this is from a copy which dates from later...
- Rhäzüns
Rhäzüns is a municipality in the district of Imboden in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-Geography:Rhäzüns has an area, , of . Of this area, 23.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 69.1% is forested...
: districts of RhäzünsRhäzüns is a municipality in the district of Imboden in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-Geography:Rhäzüns has an area, , of . Of this area, 23.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 69.1% is forested...
, Hohentrins and FlimsFlims is a municipality in the district of Imboden in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The town of Flims is dominated by the Flimserstein which you can see from almost anywhere in the area....
- Schams-Rheinwald: districts of Rheinwald
The Rheinwald is a valley in the Canton of Graubünden in Switzerland...
and Schamsthumb | The Schams north of [[Andeer]]. In the top left, the ruins of [[Cagliatscha Castle]]The Schams is a section of the Hinterrhein valley in the Swiss Canton of Graubünden.- Geography :...
- Thusis
Thusis is a municipality in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-Geography:Thusis has an area, , of . Of this area, 18% is used for agricultural purposes, while 58.2% is forested...
: districts of ThusisThusis is a municipality in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-Geography:Thusis has an area, , of . Of this area, 18% is used for agricultural purposes, while 58.2% is forested...
, Heinzenberg, TschappinaTschappina is a municipality in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-Geography:Tschappina has an area, , of . Of this area, 42.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 26.8% is forested...
and SafienSafien is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-Geography:Safien has an area, , of . Of this area, 45.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 18.2% is forested...
- Misox: districts of Misox, Roveredo
Roveredo is a municipality in the district of Moësa in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-Geography:Roveredo has an area, , of . Of this area, 8.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 75% is forested...
and Calanca
League of the Ten Jurisdictions
A third league was established on June 8, 1436 by the people of ten
bailiwickA bailiwick is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and may also apply to a territory in which the sheriff's functions were exercised by a privately appointed bailiff under a royal or imperial writ. The word is now more generally used in a metaphorical sense, to indicate a sphere of...
s in the former county of Toggenburg, as the dynasty of Toggenburg had become extinct. The league was called
League of the Ten JurisdictionsThe League of the Ten Jurisdictions was the last of the Three Leagues founded during the Middle Ages in what is now Canton Graubünden of Switzerland. The League was created in the County of Toggenburg after the counts of Toggenburg died out. The League initially existed to resist the power of the...
, with its capital in
DavosDavos is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of 11,248 . Davos is located on the Landwasser River, in the Swiss Alps, between the Plessur and Albula Range...
, and was composed of:
- Belfort
- Davos
- Klosters
Klosters-Serneus is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.Its well-known ski resort lies from Zurich, the nearest international airport. Transfer time is about 1.5 hours. Klosters is from Davos...
- Castels
- Schiers
-Heritage sites of national significance:The Salginatobel Bridge is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance.The Salginatobel Bridge is a reinforced concrete arch bridge designed by renowned Swiss civil engineer Robert Maillart. It was constructed across an alpine valley in Schiers...
- Schanfigg (St. Peter)
- Langwies
Langwies is a municipality in the district of Plessur in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-Geography:Langwies has an area, , of . Of this area, 48.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 22.6% is forested...
- Strassberg (Churwalden
Churwalden is a municipality in the district of Plessur in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. On 1 January 2010 the municipalities of Malix and Parpan merged into Churwalden.-History:...
)
- Maienfeld
Maienfeld is a municipality in the district of Landquart in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. It is a tourist destination in the Alps, both because of the local wine and because it was the setting of the story Heidi.- History :...
(the town and the castle)
- Neu-Aspermont (which had jurisdiction over Jenins
Jenins is a municipality in the district of Landquart in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:Jenins is first mentioned in 1139 as Uienennes. In 1142 it was mentioned as Gininnes.-Geography:...
and MalansMalans is the name of the following municipalities:* Malans, Doubs, a commune in the Doubs department in France* Malans, Haute-Saône, a commune in the Haute-Saône department in France* Malans, Switzerland, a municipality in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
)
The alliance was mainly designed to resist
HabsburgThe House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
expansion into the region and was administered in seven districts:
- Davos
- Klosters: districts of Klosters-Innerschnitz and Klosters-Ausserschnitz
- Castels: (partitioned from 1622) districts of Luzein
Luzein is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-Neighboring municipalities:-Geography:Luzein has an area, , of . Of this area, 41.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 46.6% is forested...
and JenazJenaz is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-Geography:Jenaz has an area, , of . Of this area, 48.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 38.8% is forested...
- Schiers-Seewis: (partitioned from 1679) districts of Schiers and Seewis
- Maienfeld: districts of Maienfeld and Malans
Malans is the name of the following municipalities:* Malans, Doubs, a commune in the Doubs department in France* Malans, Haute-Saône, a commune in the Haute-Saône department in France* Malans, Switzerland, a municipality in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
- Belfort: districts of Churwalden and (partitioned from 1613) Inner- and Ausserbelfort
- Schanfigg: districts of St. Peter (Ausserschanfigg) and Langwies
Union of the leagues
The three separate Leagues initially worked together informally, such as in 1450, in the
Schamserfehde, a conflict with the house of Werdenberg-Sargans, during which the
League of the Ten JurisdictionsThe League of the Ten Jurisdictions was the last of the Three Leagues founded during the Middle Ages in what is now Canton Graubünden of Switzerland. The League was created in the County of Toggenburg after the counts of Toggenburg died out. The League initially existed to resist the power of the...
allied with the
League of God's HouseThe League of God's House was formed in what is now Switzerland on January 29, 1367 to resist the rising power of the Bishopric of Chur and the House of Habsburg. The League allied with the Grey League and the League of the Ten Jurisdictions in 1471 to form the Three Leagues...
. Joint meetings of the three Leagues are evidenced from 1461; closer links date to 1471, when the two leagues allied with the
Grey LeagueThe Grey League , sometimes called Oberbund, formed in 1395 in the Vorderrhein and Hinterrhein valleys, Raetia. The name Grey League is derived from the homespun grey clothes worn by the people. The league became part of the canton of Graubünden. The Grey League allied itself to the two other...
, but there is no documentary proof of this date. In 1497 and 1498 the Leagues allied with the
Old Swiss ConfederacyThe Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
after the Habsburgs acquired the possessions of the extinct Toggenburg dynasty in 1496, siding with the Confederacy in the
Swabian WarThe Swabian War of 1499 was the last major armed conflict between the Old Swiss Confederacy and the House of Habsburg...
three years later. The Habsburgs were defeated at
Calven GorgeThe Battle of Calven took place on May 22, 1499 at the exit of the Val Müstair in the Grisons to the Vinschgau in County of Tyrol between the forces of king Maximilian I of the House of Habsburg and those of the free federation of the Three Leagues of the Grisons...
and
DornachThe Battle of Dornach was a battle fought on 22 July 1499 between the troops of Emperor Maximilian I and the Old Swiss Confederacy close to the Swiss village of Dornach....
, helping the Swiss Confederacy and the allied Leagues to be recognised.
After 1499, the Free State
de factoDe facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
separated from the
Holy Roman EmpireThe Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
and developed, during the 16th century into a political entity that was unique in
early modern EuropeEarly modern Europe is the term used by historians to refer to a period in the history of Europe which spanned the centuries between the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, roughly the late 15th century to the late 18th century...
. In the early 17th century, it was the only territory in Europe where all decisions were made by
communalismCommunalism is a term with three distinct meanings according to the Random House Unabridged Dictionary'.'These include "a theory of government or a system of government in which independent communes participate in a federation". "the principles and practice of communal ownership"...
, with the Leagues founded, governed and defended by cooperative decisions.
With the
of 23 September 1524 was created a constitution that endured until the Napoleonic dissolution of the Free State. The supreme power in the Free State was a
Bundestag, composed of 63 deputies with responsible to constituencies; this Bundestag alternated between
IlanzIlanz is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:Ilanz is first mentioned in 765 as Iliande. Ilanz became the capital of the newly formed Grey League in 1395. The Grey League was the second of Three Leagues which eventually formed canton Graubünden...
,
ChurChur or Coire is the capital of the Swiss canton of Graubünden and lies in the northern part of the canton.-History:The name "chur" derives perhaps from the Celtic kora or koria, meaning "tribe", or from the Latin curia....
and
DavosDavos is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of 11,248 . Davos is located on the Landwasser River, in the Swiss Alps, between the Plessur and Albula Range...
. By today's standards, the Three Leagues would be considered a federation of three states, rather than a single, unified state; the union had few competencies and virtually all affairs of the Free State were settled by
referendumA referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
.
The last traces of the bishop of Chur's jurisdiction were abolished in 1526. The
Musso warThe Musso war was an armed conflict between the federation of the Three Leagues in the Grisons, an associate state of the Old Swiss Confederacy, and the Duchy of Milan early in the 16th century....
of 1520 drove the Three Leagues closer to the Swiss Confederacy.
With the invasion of Switzerland by the French Revolutionary Armies, the Three Leagues were absorbed into the
Helvetic RepublicIn Swiss history, the Helvetic Republic represented an early attempt to impose a central authority over Switzerland, which until then consisted mainly of self-governing cantons united by a loose military alliance, and conquered territories such as Vaud...
, as the
canton of RaetiaRaetia was the name of a canton of the Helvetic Republic from 1798 to 1803, corresponding to modern Graubünden and composed of the Free State of the Three Leagues...
. With the Napoleonic
Act of MediationThe Act of Mediation was issued by Napoleon Bonaparte on 19 February 1803 establishing the Swiss Confederation. The act also abolished the previous Helvetic Republic, which had existed since the invasion of Switzerland by French troops in 1798. After the withdrawal of French troops in July 1802,...
, the Leagues were incorporated into a
restored Swiss ConfederacyDuring the French Revolutionary Wars, the revolutionary armies marched eastward, enveloping Switzerland in their battles against Austria. In 1798 Switzerland was completely overrun by the French and became the Helvetic Republic. The Helvetic Republic encountered severe economic and political problems...
— as the canton of
GraubündenGraubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
— in 1803; the current constitution of the canton dates from 1892.
The districts of Chiavenna,
ValtellinaValtellina or the Valtelline valley ; is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its skiing, its hot spring spas, its cheeses and its wines...
and
BormioBormio is a town and comune located in the province of Sondrio, Lombardy region of the Alps in northern Italy. It has a population of 4,200...
, previously dependencies of the Leagues, were never a part of the canton of Raetia, however, having permanently been detached from the Leagues after Revolutionary France fomented revolt there, leading them to be annexed to the
Cisalpine RepublicThe Cisalpine Republic was a French client republic in Northern Italy that lasted from 1797 to 1802.-Birth:After the Battle of Lodi in May 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte proceeded to organize two states: one to the south of the Po River, the Cispadane Republic, and one to the north, the Transpadane...
on October 10, 1797. The districts subsequently joined the
AustrianThe Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
clientClient state is one of several terms used to describe the economic, political and/or military subordination of one state to a more powerful state in international affairs...
kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia after the
Congress of ViennaThe Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
and eventually become the
ItalianItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
province of SondrioThe Province of Sondrio is in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the town of Sondrio.It has an area of 3,212 km², and a total population of 176,856...
. The town of Campione was similarly detached from the Landvogtei of Lugano at the same time, leading to its current position as an Italian enclave within
TicinoCanton Ticino or Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. Named after the Ticino river, it is the only canton in which Italian is the sole official language...
.