2023-05-24 06:30:48
Ignasi Casanovas presented in Girona “La noblesa gironina de privilege de Generositat”, the first of four volumes in which he studies the peasants who in 1462 came to Girona in defense of Ferdinand II and his mother, Queen Joana and were later ennobled, they and their descendants
What leads a Barcelonan to be interested in the Girona nobility?
It all comes from my wedding. My wife’s maternal grandmother – thank God we are still together – was born in Can Traver, d’Usall. Even before we got married, we visited that spectacular farmhouse, and since I’m a notary by profession and history has always interested me, I then wanted to find out where that noble lineage came from.
Did you manage to find out its origin?
An ancestor of my wife had gone to the Siege of La Força, in Girona, where the queen and her son Ferran, who would later be the Catholic, had taken refuge. About forty peasants went there to help the queen. Curiosity led me to try to find out who the other peasants were who, as thanks, were ennobled.
That must be a lot of work.
For years I have been looking for genealogy, finding out which farm house they belonged to, what coat of arms they had, etc.
What did it mean to be ennobled?
The Privilege of Generosity that was granted to them, would come to be like the Spanish title of hidalgo. It has been passed down from parents to children, in four volumes all the names and current descendants will appear.
What was the importance of those facts?
It marked the beginning of the end of feudalism throughout Europe. In Catalonia it was the first place where it happened. After the war, Ferdinand the Catholic, now king, convened the Courts and the Observance was established and the Royal Audiencia was created, a kind of Constitutional court and, above all, it suppressed bad practices and the right to abuse serfs . It is the only attempt in all of Europe that succeeded, in other places the nobility crushed similar attempts.
Let’s talk: what problem did the queen have in Girona?
The key to everything was the canon of the church of Sant Feliu and rector of the college of Sobreportes. His name was Martirià Traver, and he was the one who sheltered the queen and the heir, with the help of the farmers, who prevented the troops of the County Council, of the count of Pallars, from entering the church where they were staying. Surely the queen would have died. The peasants contained them until the arrival of the Gascon troops. One of the farmers was from Can Traver, where you have your house, if you come.
The king suppresses bad customs and the right to abuse serfs. It is the only attempt in all of Europe that succeeded, elsewhere the nobility crushed similar attempts
Thank you very much, I will take note.
Surely they sent someone to warn the farmers of those houses to hurry to Girona. It wasn’t close, no, by foot or cart.
And the Travers, towards Girona
Another member of the Traver family was married in Can Sunyer, in Canet d’Adri, another magnificent house, which was added to it. Or Mas Moler, from Celrà, also a supporter of the queen. At the same time, they raised two or three other farmers. To some, the queen appointed him captain. Well, it’s many years of study, so it’s four volumes, people will have to wait, until all the names come out (laughs).
Was it so important then to be named a noble?
The most important thing was that it meant tax exemption. By ennobling them, the king freed them from paying taxes.
This is already starting to sound interesting.
And not only them, but all their direct descendants, and forever.
I want to assume that they already pay taxes today, the descendants…
Hey, hey, that ended with the arrival of Napoleon and the subsequent courts of Cadiz. But until before the war with the French, there are court records – already with the Bourbons – where this right to not pay taxes is recognized.
The descendants of all those people, do they know they are?
There are very few who are aware of it. Many of those houses have disappeared, maybe they had to sell… Most of the sales were for debts, and the farmhouse went up for auction. The Reaper War brought many houses into debt.
What you should do now is, as a descendant, ask for tax exemption, see if it works.
(Laughs) They would still come and inspect me to see if we have hidden gold coins.
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