Manuela Desvalls Vergós facts for kids
Manuela "Emanuela" Desvalls Vergós (died 1743) was a Spanish nun who also worked as a secret agent. She played a part in important historical events in Spain.
Early Life and Family Connections
Emanuela Desvalls Vergós was born into an important family. Her parents were Antoni Desvalls i de Castellbell and Agnès de Vergós i de Bellafilla. She had two brothers, Antonio Desvalls y de Vergós and Manuel Desvalls i de Vergós. Manuel was even a governor of Cardona.
Her brothers were close to John of Austria the Younger, an important figure at the time. They supported the Austrian side during a big conflict called the War of the Spanish Succession. This war was about who would rule Spain. Her brothers were favored by Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, who was the Austrian candidate for the Spanish throne.
Life as a Nun and Secret Agent
In 1696, Emanuela Desvalls Vergós joined the Santa Maria de Vallbona convent. She became a full nun in 1707. But her life in the convent was not just about prayer.
Until 1714, she secretly helped her brothers during the war in Catalonia. She acted as their agent, which means she carried out secret tasks for them. During the Siege of Barcelona, a time when the city was surrounded by enemy forces, Manuela had a special job. She wrote and copied messages to help keep up the spirits of those who supported the Austrian cause. She also helped find people willing to secretly bring weapons and supplies into the besieged city.
After Barcelona was defeated in 1714, her brothers had to leave Spain and went to Vienna.
Continuing Her Secret Work
Even after the war ended, Emanuela continued her secret activities. She wrote and secretly published papers that were against the Bourbon family, who had won the war and now ruled Spain. Her writings supported the Austrian side.
She did not agree with the Treaty of Utrecht, which was the peace agreement that ended the war. Her writings talked about the harsh rule under the new Bourbon leaders. In 1718, some of her pro-Austrian writings were discovered after another supporter, Francisco de Castellvi, was arrested. However, it seems she was not punished for her actions. Her texts were published without her name, so it is hard to know exactly which ones she wrote.
