Junta de Braços facts for kids

The Junta de Braços or Braços Generals was an important meeting in Catalonia a long time ago, during the early modern age. Think of it like a special emergency parliament. It was called by the Generalitat of Catalonia, which was the government of Catalonia at the time, whenever there was a big problem or something urgent needed to be decided.

This meeting brought together important people from the Catalan Courts who were in Barcelona at that moment.

What Was the Junta de Braços?

The Junta de Braços was a special assembly, like a big meeting, that helped the government of Catalonia deal with serious issues. It was only called when things were really urgent.

Who Decided to Call the Meeting?

The decision to call the Junta de Braços was made by six specific people from the Generalitat. These were three main deputies and three "oïdors," who were like auditors or advisors. They had to agree that a meeting was necessary.

Who Attended the Meeting?

The Junta de Braços was set up just like the Catalan Courts. This meant it included members from three main groups, known as the "estates of the realm":

• The Church: This group included important religious leaders, like bishops and abbots.
• The Nobility: This group was made up of nobles, like dukes, counts, and knights. They were often wealthy landowners.
• The Common People: This group represented the regular citizens, especially from important royal towns and cities across Catalonia.

Why Only Barcelona Residents?

Because of how urgent the issues usually were, and how slow communication and travel were back then, only people who lived in Barcelona (or were visiting at the time) were asked to come. It was impossible to gather everyone from all over Catalonia quickly enough. This meant that most people at the meeting were from Barcelona. It also meant more nobles who lived in the city could attend. Even "ciutadans honrats" (honorable citizens) from Barcelona, who were respected but not nobles, were allowed to join individually.

See also

In Spanish: Junta General de Brazos de Cataluña para niños