Misplaced Pages

#962037

44-634: The foundation stone for the basic fortification was laid out in 1640. A year later, in January 1641, the fort saw its first battle, during the Catalan Revolt when the Principality of Catalonia challenged Spain's authority. On orders from the King of Spain, Pedro Fajardo , heading an army of 26,000 men, proceeded to crush the revolt. The Spanish recaptured several cities, but they were defeated at

88-756: A decade. It had an enduring effect in the Treaty of the Pyrenees (1659), which ceded the County of Roussillon and the northern half of the County of Cerdanya to France (see French Cerdagne ), splitting these northern Catalan territories off from the Principality of Catalonia, and thereby receding the borders of Spain to the Pyrenees . The war had its roots in the discomfort generated in Catalan society by

132-779: A lengthy and costly conflict, the Spanish crown ordered its authorities in Chile to sign a peace agreement with the Mapuche in order to concentrate the empire's resources in fighting the Catalans. This way the Mapuche obtained a peace treaty and a recognition on behalf of the crown in a case unique for any indigenous group in the Americas. Port Vell Aerial Tramway The Port Vell Aerial Tramway ( Catalan : Telefèric del Port or Aeri del Port , Spanish : Teleférico del Puerto )

176-530: A project of restoration and waterproofing of the roof and a watchtower. The current plans for the castle include L’Espai de la Memòria, El Centre d’Interpretació de la Muntanya de Montjuïc, and cultural activities. The castle can be accessed by the Montjuïc cable car , a gondola lift that has its upper station near the castle entrance. The Montjuïc funicular ascends Montjuïc from the Paral·lel station of

220-706: A rebel army of the Catalan Republic was defeated in Martorell , near Barcelona, on 23 January. In response the Catalans reinforced their efforts and the Franco-Catalan armies obtained an important military victory over the Spanish army in the Battle of Montjuïc (26 January 1641). Pau Claris died a month later, probably poisoned by Spanish agents. His successor, Josep Soler , prepared the formal agreement of personal union between Catalonia and France, which

264-529: A series of local rebellions against their presence. The revolt grew, until the Corpus Christi day of May 1640 in Barcelona, with an uprising known as 'Bloody Corpus' (Catalan: Corpus de Sang ), under the slogans "Long live the faith of Christ!", "The King our Lord has declared war on us!" "Long live the land, death to bad government", "Reap our chains". When the bishop of Barcelona, after blessing

308-631: Is an aerial tramway in Barcelona , Catalonia , Spain . It crosses Port Vell , Barcelona's old harbour, connecting the Montjuïc hill with the seaside suburb of Barceloneta . The aerial tramway first opened in 1931 and is principally a tourist attraction, used on account of its excellent views of the city and its port. It is operated by Teleféricos de Barcelona S.A. and is not part of Autoritat del Transport Metropolità (ATM) integrated fare network. Separate tickets must be purchased prior to boarding. The aerial tramway should not be confused with

352-590: Is infamous in Catalan history books because of its role in the civil war from 1936 to 1939, when both sides of the conflict imprisoned, tortured and shot political prisoners at Montjuïc, among them Lluís Companys , who was the president of the Generalitat of Catalonia during the Spanish Civil War . Companys was executed upon orders from the Spanish State at Montjuïc Castle in 1940. Later in

396-691: The Junta de Braços or Braços Generals (assembly of Estates or States-General) of Catalonia, an extraordinary body made up of the representatives of the three Estates of the realm in the Catalan Courts (the parliament), presided by the Generalitat. The summit of the Junta de Braços was a success and an important improvement of representation by standards of the time, as it was also attended by representatives of cities which usually weren't invited to

440-661: The Barcelona Metro and connects to the lower station of the cable car. The castle can also be reached by the Port Vell Aerial Tramway from Port Vell , Barcelona's old harbour. 41°21′48″N 2°09′58″E  /  41.36333°N 2.16611°E  / 41.36333; 2.16611 Reapers%27 War The Reapers' War ( Catalan : Guerra dels Segadors , Eastern Catalan: [ˈɡɛrə ðəls səɣəˈðos] ; Spanish : Guerra de los Segadores , French : Guerre des faucheurs ), also known as

484-577: The Battle of Montjuïc by Catalan, led by Francesc de Tamarit . At that battle, Colonel Shane O'Neill or known in Spain as Prince Juan O'Neill, died leading his regiment during the Battle of Montjuic near Barcelona, dying from a musket-ball wound to his chest near the town of Castelldefels . In his honor, the King of Spain granted the Colonel the death title of Viscount Montjuïc. Fifty years later, in 1694, new bastions and battlements were erected and

SECTION 10

#1732765618963

528-522: The Catalan Revolt or Catalan Revolution , was a conflict that affected the Principality of Catalonia between 1640 and 1659, in the context of the Franco-Spanish War of 1635–1659 . Being the result of a revolutionary process carried out by Catalan peasantry and institutions, as well as French diplomatic movements, it saw the brief establishment of a Catalan Republic and the clash of Habsburg and Bourbon armies on Catalan soil over more than

572-530: The Catalan constitutions . In 1638, the canon of La Seu d'Urgell Pau Claris , known for his opposition to non-Catalan bishops who collaborated with the Crown, was elected by the ecclesiastic estate as president of the Generalitat , with Francesc de Tamarit elected member of the Generalitat by the military estate and Josep-Miquel Quintana Torroella by the popular estate. Around 1639, both causes approached and

616-643: The Corpus de Sang ), the Council of Defense of the Principality in order to raise an army to respond the expected Royal counter-attack, as well as the Council of Treasury which began to issue debt and a special tax to the nobility (the Batalló ), while the tension with the monarchy grew. At the same time, the Generalitat maintained diplomatic contacts with the Kingdom of France, in order to establish an alliance between

660-487: The Dutch Republic , convinced Catalan leadership that they could not expect any pardon or negotiated solution with the Spanish king. As a result of the negotiation, on 16 January, Pau Claris presented a proposal before the Junta de Braços by which the King of France agreed to put the Principality under his protection if Catalonia changed its government to a republic . On 17 January 1641, the Junta de Braços accepted

704-501: The Montjuïc Cable Car , a gondola lift that links the upper terminus of the Montjuïc funicular with Montjuïc Castle . The tramway starts at Miramar station halfway down the hill of Montjuïc at an altitude of 57 m (187 ft), passes through the peak of Torre Jaume I which is 107 m (351 ft) high and ends at the top of Torre Sant Sebastià at 86 m (282 ft), from where an elevator descends to

748-567: The Thirty Years' War in 1648 but remained part of the Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659) with the confrontation between two sovereigns and two Generalitats, one based in Barcelona, under the control of Spain and the other in Perpinyà ( Perpignan ), under the occupation of France. In 1652 the French authorities renounced Catalonia, but held control of Roussillon, thereby leading to the signing of

792-696: The Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659. Spanish troops being busy in Catalonia considerably helped Portugal , on the other side of the Iberian Peninsula, in successfully shaking off Spanish rule and winning its Restoration War at the same time. The Catalan war was also concurrent with the Arauco War in Chile where the Spanish fought a coalition of native Mapuches . With the Arauco War being

836-543: The 20th century, the castle became a military museum. In June 1963, Francisco Franco inaugurated the Military Armor Museum, the official name given to the institution. In April 2007, the government transferred the castle to Barcelona City Council. Following discussions over the next months, the castle became a municipal facility. Subsequently, in 2010 the museum was closed and the City Council started

880-535: The Courts, as well as members of various feudal towns and, in addition, it mostly worked under the basis of individual vote instead of the traditional single vote per Estate. The new assembly began to assume the sovereignty, enacting a series of revolutionary mesures, such as the establishment of a Council of Justice in replacement of the Royal Audience of Catalonia (the royal judges were also assassinated during

924-471: The Principality of Catalonia and this country. Bernard du Plessis-Besançon  [ fr ] was appointed plenipotentiary of the King of France to Catalonia on 29 August 1640. By the pact of Ceret (September 1640), the French monarchy promised to help the Principality. The massacre perpetrated by the Spanish armies in Cambrils on 16 December, a method similar to those carried out in the fight against

SECTION 20

#1732765618963

968-470: The agreements reached in Peronne (maritime ports, taxes, key bureaucratic positions, etc.) and a firm military focus on the neighbouring Spanish kingdoms of Valencia and Aragon , in line with Richelieu 's war against Spain, gradually undermined Catalan enthusiasm for the French. A Franco-Catalan army under Philippe de La Mothe-Houdancourt moved south and gained several victories against the Spanish, but

1012-402: The beginning of the conflict. The irregular militia involved were known as " Miquelets ". The situation took Olivares by surprise, with most of the Spanish army fighting on other fronts far from Catalonia. The Council of Aragon demanded more military presence in Barcelona as the only way to restore the order. Pau Claris , President of the Generalitat of Catalonia , summoned the 10 September

1056-463: The cabin attendant, and have an empty weight of 1,350 kg (2,980 lb). The tramway was built by Bleichert on the Bleichert-Zuegg system with track ropes of 45 mm (1.8 in) and a haul rope of 23 mm (0.91 in). There was also an auxiliary rope of 17 mm (0.67 in) for a small open service vehicle, which could be used to evacuate the cabins. The cable speed

1100-530: The castle and accommodate the needs. It was also during this time that the castle was equipped with 120 cannons. During the Napoleonic Wars , the French Army entered Barcelona, and, on orders from Napoleon , they also captured the castle without firing a shot as the troops guarding the castle were ordered not to fight the French. In the last 350 years Montjuïc Castle has played a decisive role in

1144-494: The design of large territorial infrastructures and plants for the military defence, such as Montjuïc Castle in Barcelona which he drew up in 1730. With these new designs, the old fort was demolished in 1751 by the Spanish engineer and architect Juan Martin Cermeño , creating the current structure, still standing. The final shape of the castle took form during 1779 and 1799, when major construction works took place in order to improve

1188-549: The establishment of the Catalan Republic under French protection. However, a week later, following the defeat of the Catalan army in the Battle of Martorell , close to Barcelona, du Plessis-Besançon managed to convince the Catalan authorities that the help they needed could only be obtained from France if they recognized Louis XIII of France as sovereign. Pau Claris appealed on 23 January to Louis XIII, recognizing him as Count of Barcelona (as Louis I) and thus beginning

1232-553: The fortress became a castle. In the Siege of Barcelona (1705) the fortress was captured by the British 6th Regiment of Foot led by Lt.-Col William Southwell , paving the way for the siege of Barcelona itself. Southwell was afterwards made Governor of the castle. As an extraordinary engineer and with the rank of second lieutenant, Giovanni Antonio Medrano was assigned to the garrisons of Catalonia, Valencia and Murcia, specializing in

1276-535: The furious crowd, asked them: "Who is your captain? What is your flag?" They raised a big Christ on the Cross statue covered with an all black cloth and shouted "Here is our captain, this is our flag!". This 'Bloody Corpus' which began with the death of a reaper (Catalan: segador ), and led to the assassination by Catalan rebels of the Spanish Viceroy of Catalonia , the second Count of Santa Coloma , marked

1320-469: The history of Barcelona, becoming a symbol after the Catalan defeat to Spain in 1714. Since then the Montjuïc cannons have bombarded the city and its citizens on various occasions, and Montjuïc has been used as a prison and torture centre repeatedly for three centuries. In the late 19th century, Montjuïc was synonymous with barbarism based on the torture of anarchists and others imprisoned there. The castle

1364-542: The huge economic and military burden of the Spanish Empire . But his Union of Arms (Spanish: Union de Armas ) policy raised hostilities and protests all across the states of the Monarchy of Spain. Resistance in Catalonia was especially strong; the Catalan Courts of 1626 and 1632 were never concluded, due to the opposition of the states against the economic and military measures of Olivares, many of which violated

Montjuïc Castle - Misplaced Pages Continue

1408-412: The identification and solidarity of the peasants took place with the attitude of political distrust of the authorities. Thus the political doctrine of the uprising and the popular ideology of the revolt were formed. Catalan peasants, who were forced to quarter the royal army and reported events such as religious sacrileges, destruction of personal properties and rape of women by the soldiers, responded in

1452-496: The installation completely. Eventually, Friedrich Gründel , Bleichert's chief engineer during construction, succeeded in establishing Teleféricos de Barcelona, S.A. . In 1960, Torre Sebastià reopened with a new restaurant at its top, followed two years later by Torre Jaume I. In 1963 the tramway reopened with only two cabins, which travelled along the total length and through the top of Torre Jaume I. After Gründel's death ownership changed several times, commercial returns diminished and

1496-521: The northern side of the Pyrenees, retaining control of the Roussillon while maintaining the claim over the entirety of Catalonia. Resistance continued for several years afterwards and some fighting took place north of the Pyrenees but the mountains would remain from then on the effective border between Spanish and French territories. The conflict extended beyond the Peace of Westphalia , which concluded

1540-490: The presence of the royal army (made mostly of mercenaries from different nationalities) during the Franco-Spanish War between the Kingdom of France and the Monarchy of Spain as part of the Thirty Years' War , as well the opposition of Catalan institutions to the centralised policies of the Royal Court. Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares , the chief minister of Philip IV , had been trying to distribute more evenly

1584-570: The process to place the Principality of Catalonia in a personal union with the Kingdom of France. The threat of the French enemy establishing a powerful base south of the Pyrenees caused an immediate reaction from the Habsburg monarchy. The Habsburg government sent a large army of 26,000 men under Pedro Fajardo to crush the Catalan Revolt. On its way to Barcelona, the Spanish army retook several cities, executing hundreds of prisoners, and

1628-532: The ravages caused by the famine and the plague, the commitment made by Philip IV to respect the Catalan constitutions and institutions in 1644, and the outbreak of the Fronde conflict in France, the Spanish offensive was able to capture Barcelona in 1652 after a year of siege, bringing the Catalan capital under Spanish control again. Then, the French armies and officers, as well as Catalans loyal to them, retreated to

1672-468: The sieges of Tarragona (1644), Lleida and Tortosa finally failed and the allies had to withdraw. In the north of Catalonia in Roussillon, they were more successful. Perpignan was taken from the Spanish after a siege of 10 months , and the whole of Roussillon was under French control. Shortly after, Spanish relief armies were defeated at the Battle of Montmeló and Battle of Barcelona . Due to

1716-630: The streets of Barceloneta. The ride offers a fine view over Barcelona, the nearby Plaça del Portal de la Pau with the Columbus Monument , Port Vell with its Balearic ferries and the World Trade Centre, and Barceloneta with its Mediterranean beaches. The tower Torre Jaume I was the world's highest aerial lift pylon until 1966, when the Glacial Aerial Tramway Kaprun III opened. The tramway

1760-424: The technical status deteriorated. The authorities had decided to close it, when, in 1996, Barcelona decided to redevelop Port Vell and to build the World Trade Centre. The tramway was also renovated and it reopened in 2000. The line is 1,303 m (4,275 ft) long, with sections of 652 m (2,139 ft) and 651 m (2,136 ft). The original cabins, which are still in use, take 20 passengers each plus

1804-523: The total length to move all four cabins. All hopes for a commercial success of the venture were annihilated in the Great Depression and in the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). Torre Jaume I was used as a look-out and a machine gun post. The tramway was heavily damaged and reduced to the rusting towers. One of the two surviving cabins was transferred to Aeri de Montserrat , which started to operate again in 1940. There were discussions to demolish

Montjuïc Castle - Misplaced Pages Continue

1848-455: Was built by Bleichert , at that time a company with a worldwide reputation, which had just completed the Aeri de Montserrat . However, the size of the project was underestimated and the tramway did not open until 12 September 1931. Initially, the tramway consisted of two sections with two cars each. The cabins travelled from the terminal stations to Torre Jaume I and back, with one haul rope for

1892-415: Was intended to be an attraction at the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition , a World's fair . The Air Rail San Sebastian-Miramar, S.A. was incorporated and obtained the royal licence to build and operate the tramway. The manager of the project was Juan Rodriguez Roda . The towers were designed by the architect Carles Buigas and built by Material para Ferrocarriles y Construcciones S.A. . The tramway

1936-488: Was ratified by the Treaty of Peronne on 19 September 1641. After the military success, the Junta de Braços was able to establish its own Judiciary throughout Catalan territory with the help of French armies, despite the persistence of some class war in the form of local uprisings of peasants. For the next decade the Catalans fought in French personal union, taking the initiative after Montjuïc. Meanwhile, increasing French control of political and administrative affairs despite

#962037