Generalitat (, literally in English 'Generality') is the name of two major medieval and early modern political institutions and their modern-day analogues in Kingdom of Spain. The ancient Principality of Catalonia and the Kingdom of Valencia were ruled by Generalitats. Today,

Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...

and The

Valencian Community The Valencian Community is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid wit ...

have systems of self-government called Generalitats, and are two of 17

autonomous communities of Spain The autonomous communities () are the first-level political divisions of Spain, administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Constitution of Spain, Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonom ...

. The institution of the ''Generalitat'' dates back to the 13th century when the medieval courts of the ancient Principality of Catalonia and the Kingdom of Valencia respectively were created. The term originally referred to a delegation of members of the '' Corts'', who oversaw the implementation of the decisions of the ''Corts'' between sessions, and is derived from the Catalan ''Diputació del General (de Catalunya)''. The Catalan and Valencian ''Generalitats'' were both abolished by the Nueva Planta decrees, signed by Philip V of Spain at the start of the eighteenth century, and only reinstated after the death of Franco in 1975, although in Catalonia it also had a few-years existence during the Second Spanish Republic (1931-1939). Today, ''Generalitat'' refers to the branches of government, not simply the executive. For example, the Catalan executive is, officially, the "Government of the Generality of Catalonia" (''Govern de la Generalitat de Catalunya'': cf. Government of the Kingdom of Spain, ''Gobierno del Reino de España''), while those of the community of the Valencian Country and the Val d'Aran are known as the "Council of the Valencian Generality" (''Consell de la Generalitat Valenciana''). The only exception is the judiciary, as the courts of justice of Catalonia and Valencia belong to the Spanish judiciary, structured as unitary throughout Spain.

References

*{{HistCat Catalonia Valencian Community Crown of Aragon Principality of Catalonia Monarchy

See also

References