Battle of Martorell (1641)
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The Battle of Martorell (Catalan: ''Batalla de Martorell'') is one of the episodes of the
Reapers' War The Reapers' War ( ca, Guerra dels Segadors, , es, Guerra de los Segadores), 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 ef ...
in
Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the no ...
that took place from 20 to 23 January 1641 and ended in a victory for the Spanish troops.


History

In the spring of 1640, Francesc de Tamarit was imprisoned accused of not providing cams and accommodation to the army. Insurrectioned peasants entered
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
on 22 May and released it. On 7 June the same year, in the Corpus of Blood, groups of reapers entered the city again and the
Viceroy of Catalonia This is a list of Spanish viceroys (also called lieutenants) of the Principality of Catalonia from 1479 to 1713. *1479–1493: Enrique de Aragón *1493–1495: Juan de Lanuza y Garabito *1495–1496: Juan Fernández de Heredia *149 ...
Dalmau de Queralt Dalmau is a historic town and tehsil headquarters in Rae Bareli district of Uttar Pradesh, India. Situated on the banks of the Ganga, between Raebareli and Fatehpur, the town has several historical monuments including the old fort, several dar ...
was murdered. In September, the army of Philip IV led by Pedro Fajardo, Marquess of Los Vélez occupied
Tortosa Tortosa (; ) is the capital of the '' comarca'' of Baix Ebre, in Catalonia, Spain. Tortosa is located at above sea level, by the Ebro river, protected on its northern side by the mountains of the Cardó Massif, of which Buinaca, one of the hig ...
in December and, after the battle of
Cambrils Cambrils () is a coastal town in the comarca of Baix Camp, province of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. The town is near the tourist town Salou and is frequently visited by those travelling by air using Reus Airport. History Roman empire to Middl ...
, the city of
Tarragona Tarragona (, ; Phoenician: ''Tarqon''; la, Tarraco) is a port city located in northeast Spain on the Costa Daurada by the Mediterranean Sea. Founded before the fifth century BC, it is the capital of the Province of Tarragona, and part of Tarr ...
, moving towards Barcelona. Francesc de Vilaplana with two companies of Catalan cavalry and one of French not included in the surrender of Tarragona, watches the progress of the army of Los Vélez across the
Penedès Penedès () is a natural and historical region of Catalonia, Spain. It is located in the south of the Principality of Catalonia between the pre-coastal mountain range (''Serralada Pre-litoral'') and the Mediterranean Sea. The comarcal division of ...
. The Franco-Catalans decided to face the Spanish in
Martorell Martorell () is a municipality that forms part of the Baix Llobregat Comarques of Catalonia, comarca, in Catalonia, Spain, primarily known for its medieval Pont del Diable, Devil's bridge. It lies at the confluence of the Llobregat and Anoia Rive ...
, which became the headquarters of Catalan army after Roger de Bossost, Baron of Espenan, surrendered Tarragona and fled with his troops to France. Four days before the battle, the
Junta de Braços The Junta de Braços or Braços Generals (''States-General'') was, during the early modern age, an institution of the Principality of Catalonia, convened by the Generalitat of Catalonia in cases of emergency or urgency. It was composed by the rep ...
(States-General) of the
Principality of Catalonia The Principality of Catalonia ( ca, Principat de Catalunya, la, Principatus Cathaloniæ, oc, Principat de Catalonha, es, Principado de Cataluña) was a Middle Ages, medieval and early modern state (polity), state in the northeastern Iberian P ...
, presided over by the President of the Generalitat,
Pau Claris Pau Claris i Casademunt (; 1 January 1586 – 27 February 1641) was a Catalan lawyer, clergyman and 94th President of the Deputation of the General of Catalonia at the beginning of the Catalan Revolt. On 16 January 1641 he proclaimed the Cata ...
, proclaimed the
Catalan Republic Catalan Republic or Catalan State refers to Catalonia at various times when it was proclaimed either an independent republic or as a republic within a Spanish federal republic: * Catalan Republic (1641), a proclaimed independent state under French ...
under the protection of France.


Battle

Pedro Fajardo Pedro is a masculine given name. Pedro is the Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician name for ''Peter''. Its French equivalent is Pierre while its English and Germanic form is Peter. The counterpart patronymic surname of the name Pedro, meaning ...
de Zúñiga and Requesens, Marquis de los Vélez sent a large contingent of troops on 20 January by
Gelida Gelida is a town and municipality in the ''comarca'' of Alt Penedès, Barcelona, Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality' ...
and
Castellví de Rosanes Castellví de Rosanes is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Baix Llobregat in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. , the municipality had 1,807 inhabitants and was 16.4 km2, which includes the neighbourhoods of Els Àngels, Ca ...
, in order to cut the possible retreat of the Catalan troops by the right bank of the
Llobregat The Llobregat () is the second longest river in Catalonia, Spain, after the Ter. It flows into the Mediterranean south of the city of Barcelona. Its name could have originated in an ancient Latin word meaning 'dark', 'sorrowful' or 'muddy', or ...
. But these troops were repulsed by the miquelets commanded by Dídac de Vergós. The 21, the bulk of the Spanish royal army with infantry led by the Marquis de San Jorge, arrived to the Llobregat, provoking the retreat of the Catalan army from Martorell, who crossed the
Pont del Diable __NOTOC__ The Pont del Diable ( es, Puente del Diablo, en, Devil's bridge), also known as Sant Bartomeu Bridge, is a medieval bridge crossing the river Llobregat and straddling the municipalities of Martorell and Castellbisbal in Catalonia, Spain ...
(Devil's Bridge) while being covered by French artillery, so as not to be isolated. The Spanish entered the city provoking a new massacre. The mayor of Martorell was murdered when wearing the insignia of his charge, he tried to avoid the rampage. According to what appears, the Marquis de Los Vélez considered the Martorellencs doubly treacherous, to the King and to himself, because Martorell was a city under his lordship. When the Castilian cavalry led by the Marquis de Torrecuso crossed the Llobregat, the Catalans had to withdraw to Barcelona. The rout of Martorell, with the presence of the Spanish army at the gates of Barcelona, pushed the Catalans to proclaim
Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown ...
Count of Barcelona The Count of Barcelona ( ca, Comte de Barcelona, es, Conde de Barcelona, french: Comte de Barcelone, ) was the ruler of the County of Barcelona and also, by extension and according with the Usages of Barcelona, usages and Catalan constitutions, of ...
on 23 January, which sent an army in Catalonia to support his new subjects. However three days later, at the battle of Montjuïc, near Barcelona, on 26 December the Catalan and French armies defeated the Spanish troops.


References


Bibliography

* Hernández, F. Xavier. ''Història militar de Catalunya''
Martorell Martorell () is a municipality that forms part of the Baix Llobregat Comarques of Catalonia, comarca, in Catalonia, Spain, primarily known for its medieval Pont del Diable, Devil's bridge. It lies at the confluence of the Llobregat and Anoia Rive ...
Martorell Martorell () is a municipality that forms part of the Baix Llobregat Comarques of Catalonia, comarca, in Catalonia, Spain, primarily known for its medieval Pont del Diable, Devil's bridge. It lies at the confluence of the Llobregat and Anoia Rive ...
1641 in Spain
Martorell Martorell () is a municipality that forms part of the Baix Llobregat Comarques of Catalonia, comarca, in Catalonia, Spain, primarily known for its medieval Pont del Diable, Devil's bridge. It lies at the confluence of the Llobregat and Anoia Rive ...
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