The Catalan independence movement may have scored some rather remarkable recent attention, but this is in no way the first bid that Catalonia has made for a break with Spain.  

 

       The Kingdom of Spain was a merger of the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon via their respective monarchs' marriage (Ferdinand and Isabella). Catalonia, a part of the former crown of Aragon, may have been joined in a royal union with Castile, but it preserved a unique status in the relationship. Catalans spoke a distinct language, they operated under quite different laws regarding land tenure and ownership, maintained their own representative assembly (The Corts), had a different tax structure, and were exempt from all Spanish military levies.  

 

A 16 Maravedis Coin from 1663, Minted in Madrid and bearing the bust King Phillip IV. This is set upon a map showing late 16th century Spain.

 

       This was all true until Philip IV found himself engaged in no less than three major European conflicts simultaneously: the Thirty Years War in Central Europe (1618-1648), the Franco-Spanish War (1635-59), and The Dutch Revolt (1568-1648). Under this incredible pressure Philip IV pressed to have Catalonia share in the costs of empire and imposed both a levy of troops on the region and a war-time tax. While logical in regards to viewing Catalonia as a partner in defense this move more than alienated Catalans (who felt they had more in common with the French to begin with).   

       Philip found he could only secure what he demanded of Catalonia by forcibly occupying the region, impressing its men into service, levying taxes directly, and conducting war upon France from Catalan soil. France invaded and Catalonia rose up in rebellion against Spain. On June 7th, 1640 a Catalan crowd laid hands upon the Spanish viceroy, the count of Santa Coloma, and beat him to death. Thus began the Guerra dels Segadors, or the Reapers' War.

Obverse & reverse of a revolutionary 1649 Barcelona, Catalunyan Louis XIV copper Seiseno, set upon a 1608 Jan Baptist Vrients map of Catalonia.

 

       In January of the following year a combined army of French and Catalan troops defeated the Castilian army of the Marquis of los Vélez at Barcelona. The heart of Catalonia was in the hands of France's Louis XIV and remained so until civil war (the Fronde) broke out in France in 1648. That same year the Treaty of Münster was signed, marking the end of the Dutch rebellion and the treaty of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years war.  

       1848 was the year Philip IV could again concentrate upon the unruly Catalans. Still, it was not a simple thing to just march into Catalonia. It would take finesse with the Catalan aristocracy and a determined campaign of reconquest. On October 13th of 1652 Barcelona finally fell to a besieging army led by Philip's illegitimate son, Don Juan of Austria. Upon this success Philip IV demonstrated his magnanimity, issuing a general amnesty to Catalans who had taken up arms against the Spanish crown and permitting the Catalan Corts to retain their autonomy and their own laws. Catalonia preserved this autonomy until it's backing of the Hapsburgs in the wars of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714). Philip V, the new Bourbon King of Spain, showed nothing similar to the magnanimity as Philip IV had.  

 

The anthem of Catalonia to this day is "Els Segadors" (The reapers), an homage to the Catalan rebels of the 17th century.

 

The Port of Barcelona set between Catalan flags.

 

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