Sentencia Arbitral de Guadalupe facts for kids
| Signed | 21 April 1486 |
|---|---|
| Location | Extremadura, Spain |
| Negotiators | King Ferdinand II of Aragon |
| Original signatories |
The Sentencia Arbitral de Guadalupe (which means "Arbitral Decision of Guadalupe") was a very important legal decision. King Ferdinand II of Aragon made this decision on April 21, 1486. It happened at the Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe in Extremadura, Spain.
This decision helped free the remensa peasants in Catalonia. These peasants were tied to the land owned by their lords. They had to pay many unfair fees and were often treated badly. These old rules were known as "evil customs" (mals usos).
Contents
Why Was This Decree Needed?
The main goal of this decision was to stop the fights between the remensa peasants and their lords. These conflicts had caused two big wars, known as the Remensa Wars.
It was very hard to agree on the rules for this new decision. King Ferdinand himself got involved directly. He was good at negotiating, especially about money matters.
What Did the Decree Change?
Finally, King Ferdinand announced the Sentencia Arbitral. This decision ended the "evil customs." In return, the peasants had to make a payment. This helped to solve a conflict that had lasted for over 400 years between the lords and the peasants.
Peasants paid 60 sous (an old type of money) for each farmstead. In exchange, the lords lost the right to mistreat peasants. Many other smaller unfair rules were also removed.
Peasants could still use their farms. However, they had to show respect to their lord. They also had to pay certain fees, but these amounts were not meant to be a big economic burden. Instead, they were a way to show who was still in charge.
So, the peasants did not fully end the feudal system. But they did gain the freedom to escape the "evil customs." People at that time called these "malae consuetudines."
Francesc de Verntallat signed the decree for the peasants. He was joined by 18 other representatives, including Llorenç Espígol from Sant Feliu de Pallerols.
What Happened After the Decree?
Even with the new decree, there were still some tough rules for the peasants. They had to give back all the castles they had taken from the lords. They also had to pay 6,000 pounds as a payment to the lords.
King Ferdinand did free some peasants who had been arrested. But he also took away property from others. Some peasants even had their land made unusable, or they were executed.
A New Beginning for Catalonia
Despite these challenges, the decree marked a new start for the Principality of Catalonia. Peasants gained the right to make their own agreements about land use. This led to a time of great wealth and success in the Catalan countryside.
By the 1400s, Catalan peasants had a level of personal freedom. This was much earlier than in other parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Europe. Most other places did not see such freedom until the 1700s or 1800s.
See also
In Spanish: Sentencia arbitral de Guadalupe para niños
