War of the Remences facts for kids
The Rebellion of the Remences was a big fight by common people in Catalonia, a region in what is now Spain. It happened in the late Middle Ages, starting in 1462. This fight was against the powerful landowners, called nobles, who treated the peasants unfairly. The rebellion lasted for about ten years but didn't completely solve the problems right away.
Later, in 1486, King Ferdinand II of Aragon finally ended the conflict with a special agreement called the Sentencia Arbitral de Guadalupe.
The word remença comes from an old Latin word meaning "to redeem" or "to buy back." It showed that these peasants wanted to buy their freedom from being tied to the land.
Contents
Why the Rebellion Started
In the early 1300s, cities in Catalonia grew, and its culture spread. But the number of people living in the countryside went down. This got even worse after the terrible Black Death plague.
Because there were fewer workers, the nobles started to be very strict. They made peasants stay on their land and follow old, unfair rules called "evil customs." They also enforced their rights over the peasants much more harshly than before.
The poorest peasants were the most eager to fight back. Peasants who had more money, especially in areas like the Plain of Vic and l'Empordà, tried to ask the king for help. They wanted him to stop the nobles' abuses. The king, who was often in a power struggle with the nobles, sometimes wanted the peasants to be a strong, independent group.
In the mid-1400s, King Alfonso V of Aragon tried to help. He let the peasants form a group called a sindicat remença, which was like a peasants' trade union. He even granted some of them freedom. But the Bishop of Girona and the Generalitat, which was controlled by nobles, disagreed. Their opposition made King Alfonso change his mind.
King Alfonso's successor, John II of Aragon, later asked the peasants for their help against the nobles. By May 1461, the peasants had decided to support the king against the powerful nobles.
The First War of the Remences
In 1462, the remença peasants started their rebellion. This happened at the same time as a war between King John II and the nobles. The peasants, led by a man named Francesc de Verntallat, mostly fought in the mountains. The king and his army fought closer to the Mediterranean coast.
After ten years, King John won the war. However, he wasn't able to completely end serfdom (where peasants were tied to the land). He also didn't bring about many big changes for the peasants.
The Second War of the Remences
Another rebellion began in 1484. This time, the leader was Pere Joan Sala, who used to be a captain under Francesc de Verntallat. It started with an uprising in the Valley of Mieres on September 22, 1484.
Pere Joan Sala gained power in many areas, including the Plain of Vic and Garrotxa. But he wasn't as successful in Empordà, where peasants didn't join his revolt. He also failed to take the city of Girona in December. Even so, the king's representative, Prince Enric, had to retreat because Sala had gathered so many fighters.
Because of this new rebellion, King Ferdinand II of Aragon (also known as "the Catholic") issued the Sentencia de Guadalupe in 1486. This important agreement made the worst abuses illegal. It also allowed remença peasants to buy their freedom by paying 60 sous (an old coin) per household. This changed the rural society. It was still a feudal system (where land was owned by nobles and worked by peasants), but it was much fairer for the peasants.
See also
In Spanish: Guerras remensas para niños
