Francesc de Castellví i Obando facts for kids

Francesc de Castellví i Obando (born 1682 – died 15 September 1757) was a Catalan historian and writer. He is best known for his book Narraciones Históricas. This book describes important events from 1700 to 1725, especially the Siege of Barcelona in 1714. Castellví was a soldier during this siege, fighting for the side that supported the Habsburgs. He wrote his book while living in Austria, sharing his own experiences from the war.

Life of Francesc de Castellví

Francesc de Castellví was born in 1682 in Montblanc, a town in Catalonia. He came from a small but respected family. He received a good education, studying both science and literature when he was young.

Role in the War of the Spanish Succession

During the War of the Spanish Succession, Castellví became an important member of a political group called the Junta de Braços. This group was very important in Catalonia during the war. In 1713, the troops of King Philip V began to surround and attack Barcelona. Even though they were offered chances to give up, Castellví and the other members of the Junta de Braços decided to keep fighting. They knew their chances of winning were very small.

Castellví fought bravely as a captain during the defense of Barcelona. He was part of the Coronela, which was a group of city defenders made up mostly of ordinary people. Their job was to protect Barcelona. Castellví led the second company of the Immaculada Concepció de la Verge Maria battalion.

On August 14, he was injured while fighting at the Sant Pere bastion. During the final battle on September 11, Barcelona finally gave up. This ended the long conflict. After Philip V's troops took over Barcelona, Castellví was put under watch and lost all his land and belongings.

Exile and Historical Writings

In 1726, a peace agreement was signed between King Philip V and Charles VI. This agreement offered forgiveness for political prisoners. Castellví then moved to Austria. It was there that he wrote his famous book, Narraciones Históricas desde el año 1700 hasta el año 1725.

To write his book, Castellví used many different sources. He looked at records from both the Bourbon (Philip V's side) and Habsburg (Charles VI's side) armies. He also included stories from other Catalans who had moved to Austria after the war. Most importantly, he added his own personal experiences from the siege.

Later Life in Austria

From 1735 to 1738, Castellví joined other Catalans on a journey along the Danube River. They tried to start a new city called Nova Barcelona. However, this project failed because the area was too close to the Ottoman Empire and there was a serious outbreak of the black plague.

After this, Castellví returned to Vienna. There, Emperor Charles VI gave him a regular payment because he had fought in the War of Succession. Francesc de Castellví stayed in Austria until he passed away in 1757.

See also

In Spanish: Francisco de Castellví y Obando para niños