Grand Duchy of Côrsiggé

The Grand Duchy of Côrsiggé (1532 – 1679; 1682 – Present) is a Western Oenotrien parliamentary monarchy that replaced the Duchy of Aggachià in 1532 and the Serene Republic of Côrsiggé in 1682. It is a dependency of the Chaumentaine Empire.

Foundation of the Grand Duchy
Duke Moltèssó II Bárbalùncio of Aggachià inherited the Duchy of Bergalvanó after the his cousin, Duke Palaíuto Rigàn Bárbalùncio, died. Moltèssó II consolidated the two duchies into the Grand Duchy of Côrsiggé. He then established the Great Council, which consisted of the Sénatù and the Council of Forty-Two, creating the parliamentary monarchy which now exists.

Bárbalùncio Period (1532 – 1598)
The heirs of Moltèssó II continued to rule the Grand Duchy until 1598, when Pàzio V attempted to sacralize the republic by appointing clergy members to positions within the Grand Council. Because he did not first consult the Council of Forty-Two before appointing the clergymen, the Sénatù voted against his appointments. Pàzio overrode the Sénatù’s vote, allowing for the clergymen to enter the Council of Forty-Two. He threatened to dissolve the Sénatù by introducing an amendment to the Grand Duchy’s parliamentary constitution which allowed for the removal of the senators’ yearly pensions.

Several members from the Council of Forty-Two conspired to combat the amendment’s ratification by refusing to be present for the vote. When the Council was called to vote on the amendment, only the newly appointed clergymen attended. Because less than the three-fourths of the councilmen were present, the clergymen were unable to vote on the amendment. The amendment expired, and Pàzio V was rendered unable to dissolve the Sénatù.

Disturbed by the duke’s intentional infringement of parliamentary procedure, Benesacrator Aendríc Salvòl nullified Pàzio V’s divine right of rule, and the Council of Forty-Two was allowed to depose him from power. The clergymen, under pressure from the Benesacrator’s decision, unanimously voted with the rest of the Council on Pàzio V’s removal. The Benesacrator recommended Gùeffo I of the House of Pèllicerre for the position of Grand Duke. The Grand Council approved of the Benesacrator’s recommendation.

Pèllicerre Period (1598 – 1679; 1682 – Present)
Gùeffo I ascended to the throne in 1698. His rule was defined by one of many major parliamentary reforms. With Benesacrator Salvòl as his principal advisor, new regulations administered by Gùeffo prevented the grand duke from infringing parliamentary procedure, as new policies allowed the Great Council to assemble emergency sessions in which the grand duke could be denied the divine right of rule, with the Benesacrator’s approval. The new regulations also provided the Great Council with ability to modify the grand duke’s pension within reason. Gùeffo I instituted new benefits for Côrsiggéan farmers, encouraging them to increase their crop yield, that allowed for the grand duchy to thrive under his rule.

His son, Gùeffo II, utilized the grand duchy’s economic prowess to increase funding for its military. Sabiná III followed. She became the first Côrsiggéan Duchess to serve as the Empress Consort of the Chaumentaine, via her marriage to Êlessandré IX. After the Bárbalùncios assassinated her father, her cousin Ceperano Pèllicerre was voted in as the heir incumbent. The rival family organized a revolt led by Eutàlié Sannse and Igène Martìne. After being poisoned by one of her servants, Sabiná III exiled to the isle of Bresichíari, where she eventually died.

In 1679, the monarchy was abolished and replaced with a quasi-republican model of government. The following year, Chaumentaine Minister-Regent Pôncellé Rèverredín declared war on the nascent republic. The war resulted in the restoration of the grand duchy and the Pèllicerre monarchy under the pro-Chaumentaine Ceperano I, who his ascension speech announced that the Grand Duchy would "be among those foreign territories for whose economic and political security the Empire of the Chaumentaine is preponderantly responsible."