Pact of Genoa

Last updated

A portrait of Mitford Crowe, who signed the pact. Mitford Crowe Smith.jpg
A portrait of Mitford Crowe, who signed the pact.

The Pact of Genoa was a military and political alliance formed in 1705 between the Kingdom of England and landowning Austracists (known as Vigatans) on behalf of the Principality of Catalonia within the framework set by the War of Spanish Succession. According to the terms of agreement, England stationed troops in Catalonia, which, united with the Catalonian forces, fought in favour of Charles VI of the Holy Roman Empire for the candidacy of the Spanish throne against the armies of Philip V of Spain, compromising the maintenance of Catalonian laws and institutions.

Contents

Background

The viceroy of Catalonia, the Castilian nobleman Francisco Antonio Fernández de Velasco y Tovar, appointed to that role by Bourbon King Philip V of Spain, began repressing Austracism after the failure of the Landing at Barcelona during May 1704. Among Josep Duran's documents—which had been part of a link connecting Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt to the landing—was the Conference of the Three Commons, "the office where the preceding conspiracy formed" and showed the Catalonian military as "the most dominant and powerful part" of it. Velasco proceeded to jail many suspects, many of whom were members of the Conference, among whom they found one of the Catalan Austracist leaders, Narcís Feliu de la Penya, the boss of Vigatan Jaume Puig de Perafita and the main families of Catalan nobility. This caused many undecided people to favour Charles VI, thus also increasing membership for the "Austracist party", against the behest of the viceroy. He could not detain a portion of the conspirators, as they had embarked from Darmstadt on course to Lisbon—participating in the Capture of Gibraltar—where they reunited with the Charles VI. Velasco also ordered the requisition of stamps, effigies, paintings, and images of Jorge de Darmstadt. The repressive spiral continued in the following year, when judges of the Real Audience of Catalonia, members of the Council of the Hundred, and bishop Benito de Sala y de Caramany were arrested. Finally, Velasco ordered the suppression of the Conference of the Commons. [1]

History

Prior to signing

In March 1705, during the War of the Spanish Succession, Queen Anne named Mitford Crowe as one of her committee members. Crowe, a liquor merchant loyal to the Principality of Catalonia, was chosen "to form an alliance between us and the mentioned Principality or whichever other Spanish province". He was given instructions to negotiate with Catalan representatives "having been informed of the Catalonian people's inclination to liberate themselves from France's imposed yoke and to remove the Duke of Anjou's power to return to the House of the Habsburgs." Crowe had informed the anti-Borbon Grand Alliance, which included England, that "the Catalans were an independent people that lived under their own laws and privileges that would want to support a king that committed to restoring their ancient rights". [2]

However, Crowe couldn't interview any Catalan representatives due to viceroy Velasco's continuing with his repressive campaign against Austracist Catalans, regardless of their involvement in the failed conspiracy from 1704. In response to this, Crowe put himself into contact with the Vigatans, who agreed to an Anglo-Catalan alliance in the name of the Principality. This group of landowners and nobles from the Plain of Vic was the first Austracist group in Catalonia to take up arms against Philip V. In the spring of 1705, they had seized Plain of Vic while a second Austracist group from the Camp de Tarragona was handled by the Nebot family from Riudoms. [3]

The signing

Crowe's initiative gave a location for the Vigatans to meet at on 17 May 1705 at Saint Sebastian's chapel in the parish church of Santa Eulàlia de Riuprimer, where they agreed to grant complete power to the young nobleman Antoni de Peguera i d'Aimeric and the lawyer Domènec Perera, signing the treaty with England in the name of Catalonia. [4] The document says the following concerning powers:

"Powers and commission of eight subjects of the Plain of Vich on the 17th of May, 1705 give to Don Antoni de Peguera and Dr. Domènec Perera to treat with Mitford Crowe, sent from the Queen of England in Genoa, or with whomever else that has the power. We, the undersigned, give and grant broad power and authority to the noble Don Antoni de Peguera and Dr. Domènec Perera so that in our name they sign, promise, and secure under our word of honor, our persons, and our well-beings, the treaties or treaty that according to his powers the illustrious Mr. Mitford Crowe, sent by Her Majesty the Queen of England in Genoa, has the power and authority to sign, promise, and secure through the motives, causes, and reasons that, according to our consent and approval, the aforementioned gentlemen of given word have whole faith and credit to the two together or to only one that finds himself in Genoa or wherever else where he finds the aforementioned illustrious Mr. Mitford Crowe, or any other minister from the Majesty of the Kingdom of England. That which we sign and promise in good faith being by the spoken effect together in the parish church of Santa Eulalia of the bishop and veguer of the city of Vic, on the 17th of May, 1705.

The pact was signed in Genoa on 20 June 1705 by De Peguera and Perera, in the name of the Principality of Catalonia, and by Crowe, as commissioner of the Kingdom of England.

The treaty

The agreement, adjusted in Genoa on 20 June 1705 by Mitford Crowe (in the name of Queen Anne) and Antoni de Peguera and Domènec Perera included the following terms:

The text upholds the Catalan-Austracist ideology that is based on the diplomatic and "constitutionalist" model and of the relations between the sovereign and its subjects, that put the loyalty of the country before loyalty to the king in the event that the king were to violate the established laws. [5] The treaty alludes to the Catalan Constitutions 17 times to contrast against Philip V's viceroys. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Almansa</span> Battle in the War of the Spanish Succession

The Battle of Almansa took place on 25 April 1707, during the War of the Spanish Succession. It was fought between an army loyal to Philip V of Spain, Bourbon claimant to the Spanish throne, and one supporting his Habsburg rival, Archduke Charles of Austria. The result was a decisive Bourbon victory that reclaimed most of eastern Spain for Philip.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Els Segadors</span> National anthem of Catalonia, Spain

"Els Segadors" is the official national anthem of Catalonia, nationality and autonomous community of Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingdom of Aragon</span> Medieval and early modern kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula

The Kingdom of Aragon was a medieval and early modern kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon, in Spain. It should not be confused with the larger Crown of Aragon, which also included other territories — the Principality of Catalonia, the Kingdom of Valencia, the Kingdom of Majorca, and other possessions that are now part of France, Italy, and Greece — that were also under the rule of the King of Aragon, but were administered separately from the Kingdom of Aragon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catalans</span> People from Catalonia, Spain

Catalans are a Romance ethnic group native to Catalonia, who speak Catalan. The current official category of "Catalans" is that of the citizens of Catalonia, an autonomous community in Spain and the inhabitants of the Roussillon historical region in southern France, today the Pyrénées Orientales department, also called Northern Catalonia and Pays Catalan in French.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Day of Catalonia</span> Catalan national day

The National Day of Catalonia is a day-long festival in Catalonia and one of its official national symbols, celebrated annually on 11 September. It commemorates the fall of Barcelona during the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714 and the subsequent loss of Catalan institutions and laws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Principality of Catalonia</span> Principality in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula between the 12th century and 1714

The Principality of Catalonia was a medieval and early modern state in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula. During most of its history it was in dynastic union with the Kingdom of Aragon, constituting together the Crown of Aragon. Between the 13th and the 18th centuries, it was bordered by the Kingdom of Aragon to the west, the Kingdom of Valencia to the south, the Kingdom of France and the feudal lordship of Andorra to the north and by the Mediterranean Sea to the east. The term Principality of Catalonia remained in use until the Second Spanish Republic, when its use declined because of its historical relation to the monarchy. Today, the term Principat (Principality) is used primarily to refer to the autonomous community of Catalonia in Spain, as distinct from the other Catalan Countries, and usually including the historical region of Roussillon in Southern France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reapers' War</span> Rebellion to restore an independent Catalonia

The Reapers' War, also known as the Catalan Revolt, was a conflict that affected a large part of the Principality of Catalonia between the years of 1640 and 1659. It had an enduring effect in the Treaty of the Pyrenees (1659), which ceded the County of Roussillon and the northern half of the County of Cerdanya to France, splitting these northern Catalan territories off from the Principality of Catalonia and the Crown of Aragon, and thereby receding the borders of Spain to the Pyrenees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Barcelona (1713–1714)</span> Final siege of Barcelona during War of the Spanish Succession

The siege of Barcelona was a battle at the end of the War of Spanish Succession, which pitted Archduke Charles of Austria against Philip V of Spain, backed by France in a contest for the Spanish crown.

Domènec Balmanya i Perera, also referred to as Domingo Balmaña, was a former Spanish football midfielder and manager who spent most of his playing career at FC Barcelona. As a manager, he guided CF Barcelona to the a Copa del Generalísimo win in 1957 and to victory in the first ever Fairs Cup in 1958. He then had moderately successful spells at Valencia CF, Real Betis and CD Málaga before he guided Atlético Madrid to a La Liga title in 1966. He subsequently managed Spain between 1966 and 1968. After retiring as a coach he worked as a director of sport at both RCD Espanyol and FC Barcelona and as a director at a Catalan coaching school. He also worked as a radio commentator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rafael Casanova</span>

Rafael Casanova i Comes was a Catalan jurist and supporter of Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor as a claimant to the Crown of Spain during the War of the Spanish succession. He became mayor of Barcelona and commander in chief of Catalonia during the Siege of Barcelona until he was wounded in combat while commanding La Coronela during the counterattack on the Saint Peter front on the last day of the siege, 11 September 1714. After the war he received a royal pardon for having supported the Habsburg claim to the Spanish throne. He recovered from his wounds, and continued his fight against absolute monarchy as a lawyer. It has been claimed that he is the author of the book Record de l'Aliança fet el Sereníssim Jordi Augusto Rey de la Gran Bretanya in which Catalonia reminds England of the Treaty of Genoa and their obligation to Catalonia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Passeig de Gràcia, Barcelona</span> Major avenue in Barcelona, Spain

Passeig de Gràcia is one of the major avenues in Barcelona (Catalonia) and one of its most important shopping and business areas, containing several of the city's most celebrated pieces of architecture. It is located in the central part of Eixample, stretching from Plaça Catalunya to Carrer Gran de Gràcia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlos de Aragón de Gurrea, 9th Duke of Villahermosa</span>

Carlos de Aragón de Gurrea y de Borja, 9th Duke of Villahermosa was a Spanish nobleman, viceroy and governor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arbúcies</span> Municipality in Catalonia, Spain

Arbúcies is a village in the province of Girona, in the autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain. The municipality covers an area of 86.24 square kilometres (33.30 sq mi) with a population of 6481 in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joaquim Albareda</span> Spanish historian

Joaquim Albareda Salvadó, is the chairing professor of modern history at Pompeu Fabra University (Barcelona) and former director of the Institut Universitari d'Història Jaume Vicens Vives at the same college. He is the head researcher of the research project España y los tratados de Utrecht (1712-1714), of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and Grup d’estudi de les institucions i de la societat a la Catalunya moderna . Director of the history collection publication Referències from Eumo Editorial. During last years he has focused his research on the topic of the War of Spanish Succession (1705-1714) and the political history of the 18th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitford Crowe</span> English diplomat, merchant, politician and colonial administrator (1669–1719)

Colonel Mitford Crowe was an English diplomat, merchant, politician and colonial administrator who sat in the Parliament of England from 1701 to 1702 and served as the governor of Barbados from 1707 to 1710. He is best known for his career during the War of the Spanish Succession, where Crowe negotiated the Pact of Genoa with the Principality of Catalonia, which brought them into the Grand Alliance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catalan Courts</span> Parliament of Catalonia, C13 – C18

The Catalan Courts or General Court of Catalonia was the policymaking and parliamentary body of the Principality of Catalonia from the 13th to the 18th century.

Francesc de Castellví i Obando was a Catalan chronicler and historian who fought for the Austriacist side in the 1714 Siege of Barcelona. Castellví is primarily known for writing Narraciones Históricas during his stay in Austria, a work in which he explains the events that took place during the Siege of Barcelona based upon his own experiences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of El Albujón</span>

The Battle of El Albujón was a confrontation between Bourbon troops under commandante Patricio Moran and corporal José Hernández and an English force backed by troops loyal to Charles VI. It took place on 21 September 1706 and formed part of the War of the Spanish Succession. It took part in the El Albujón district of the Spanish town of Cartagena and ended in a Bourbon victory. With the victory at the battle of Murcia, it led to the reconquest of Cartagena and evidenced the failure of the Austrian campaign in the kingdom of Murcia, a region of Castile.

Francisco Antonio Fernández de Velasco y Tovar, count of Melgar, was a Spanish noble and Viceroy of Catalonia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Landing at Barcelona (1704)</span>

The Landing at Barcelona was a failed Allied attempt in May 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession to capture the city of Barcelona from its Spanish pro-Bourbon defenders.

References

  1. Albareda Salvadó, Joaquim (2010). La Guerra de Sucesión de España (1700-1714). pp. 143–148.
  2. Albareda Salvadó, Joaquim (2010). La Guerra de Sucesión de España (1700-1714). p. 175.
  3. Albareda Salvadó, Joaquim (2010). La Guerra de Sucesión de España (1700-1714). pp. 174–175.
  4. Albareda Salvadó, Joaquim (2010). La Guerra de Sucesión de España (1700-1714). p. 175.
  5. Albareda Salvadó, Joaquim (2010). La Guerra de Sucesión de España (1700-1714). p. 119.
  6. Albareda Salvadó, Joaquim (2010). La Guerra de Sucesión de España (1700-1714). pp. 124–126.

Further reading