Both the Ticinese Council of State and the Grand Council meet at the Ursuline Palace. The palace was first built as a
convent in 1738 for
Ursuline nuns. The legislative and executive organs first convened in the palace on 20 May 1803, the year of the canton's admission to the confederation, at a
Benedictine monastery. On 26 August 1803, the first session was held. In 1848, the Law on the Suppression of Monasteries forced the Ursuline nuns to leave, and the premises have been solely occupied by the legislative and executives organs of the canton of Ticino since. The first eleven women were elected to the Grand Council of Ticino in 1971 – they were
Ersilia Fossati, Marili Terribilini-Fluck, Elsa Franconi-Poretti, Linda Brenni, Elda Marazzi,
Alice Moretti, Dina Paltenghi-Gardosi, Dionigia Duchini, Rosita Genardini, Rosita Mattei and Ilda Rossi. ==References==