The Context of the Crisis
In the year 1640, 384 years ago, in Barcelona, a series of events were triggered that would mark a turning point in the history of Catalonia. This period, known as the Reapers crisis (January – June, 1640), anticipated the outbreak of the War of Separation of Catalonia (1640-1652/59).
The first incidents took place in the Catalan capital, culminating with the Corpus de Sangre on June 7, 1640, which marked the beginning of the Reapers’ revolution. Although the crisis was spreading throughout the Catalan countryside, it had not yet affected the country’s urban centers.
The Outbreak of the Revolution
On May 22, a group of Hispanic Tercios, whose administration in Madrid had not paid them their salaries for months, decided to collect money by assaulting and looting the parish temple of Sant Andreu de Palomar. These actions had been common during the period of Hispanic occupation of 1635-1640, generating a climate of extreme violence.
In response, thousands of agrarian laborers camped around the town of Sant Andreu mobilized, expelling the Hispanics from the temple and pursuing them to Barcelona. The news spread quickly, leading to the participation of the common people of Barcelona in the revolt.
The Impact of the Revolution
The popular revolt headed to the Royal Prison, freeing the councilor-protector Francesc de Tamarit, one of the country’s highest authorities, who had been imprisoned by order of the Hispanic administration. Tamarit had opposed the forced conscription of Catalans to go to fight in French territory and the brutal violence of the Hispanic Tercios.
This event marked a crucial point in the history of Catalonia, triggering a series of events that would lead to the War of Separation of Catalonia and a period of profound changes in the region.