The Comunidades
The rising of the people of Spain against their rulers coincided in
point of time with the accession of the Austrian dynasty in the person
of Charles V. In the Castilles it was a very noble attempt of the
towns, under the leadership of patriots such as Padilla, to preserve
the constitutional liberties of the people. It failed, but the best
feeling of the country will always look back to it with approval
and with pride. The picture of the execution of Padilla now has an
honoured place in the hall of the Cortes at Madrid, and the story of
the Comunidades of Castille has occupied the pen of one of Spain’s most
accomplished historians.
But in the risings of so-called Comuneros in Valencia and in Majorca
there is no such noble story to tell. These were mere insurrections
of artisans and peasantry, goaded on by the violent harangues of
leaders as ignorant as themselves, without fixed aims or objects,
and influenced only by envy and jealousy of those who were placed
above them. From Valencia the contagion spread to Majorca in 1521.
The people, called _pageses_, and inhabitants of the country towns,
complained that the nobles, living in their palaces at Palma, oppressed
them with taxes and misgoverned the country. The insurrection began
with a meeting of artisans in a house near the church of San Nicolas
in Palma, where an inflammatory speech was addressed to them by a man
named Juan Crespi. The movement rapidly spread, and came to the notice
of the Viceroy, Don Miguel de Gurrea. He called a meeting of officials,
but the only result was the arrest of a shoemaker named Pedro Begur and
three others. The Viceroy had no sufficient force at his command, and
the arrests only infuriated the mob, who flew to arms and liberated
the prisoners. The Viceroy then rode through the streets with some
attendants, calling on the rioters to disperse, and promising to listen
to their complaints. The insurgents then occupied the public buildings,
seized all the arms they could find, and chose Juan Crespi to be
their captain. This was in the end of January 1521. Crespi’s title
was ‘Instador del beneficio comun’; and the Viceroy, to gain time,
actually issued a decree conferring it upon him. In February both the
Viceroy and the insurgents sent letters to the King, giving different
versions of what had taken place. In March the insurgents had organised
a force of 1,800 men and had got possession of all the gates of the
city. Many of the nobles were killed, and the rest escaped to Alcudia,
a fortified town. The Viceroy escaped to the island of Iviça.
The Jurados, consisting of Juan de Puigdorfila, Jayme Marti, and
two others, were allowed to remain in office nominally; but fifteen
‘Conservadores’ were elected by the insurgents to introduce the reforms
they demanded. In April a reply came from the King to the ‘Instador’
and the ‘Conservadores,’ ordering them to obey the Viceroy, who
would do them justice. They declared the letter to be a forgery, and
proceeded to acts of violence, beheading all who openly opposed them.
The movement spread to the country towns, and the loyal people were in
a state of terror. Some of the nobles had taken refuge in the castle
of Belver, under the protection of Pedro Pax, the castellan. On July
29 the insurgents began the siege of the castle, which was gallantly
defended until all the ammunition was expended. The place was then
taken by assault. The insurgents beheaded the castellan and several
others. The castle was gutted and left in charge of three men to guard
it.
There is a long list of nobles who were put to death at Palma,
including a Cotoner, five Puigdorfilas, and a Despuig. Pedro Juan
Zaforteza took refuge in Valdemosa, whence he escaped, in the disguise
of a friar, to Alcudia, where the rest of the nobles had taken refuge.
In November 1521 the insurgents formed an army of six thousand men,
including cavalry, and six siege pieces, to lay siege to Alcudia. The
town was surrounded on November 20, 1521, the besiegers being busy
constructing scaling ladders and a battery for their artillery. The
nobles made a very resolute sally, capturing the battery with its guns
and stores, which disheartened the besiegers, upwards of a hundred
being killed. Antonio Sureda especially distinguished himself in this
sally, and the hopes of the besieged rose high. Pedro Pax, son of the
castellan of Belver, was chosen to command at Alcudia. He found that
provisions were running short, and resolved to attack the enemy with
his whole force, numbering 1,080. The battle was long contested, but
at last the insurgents broke and fled, thus raising the siege. Their
provisions and stores were captured, and the scaling ladders and other
siege appliances were burnt.
In August Charles V. sent Dr. Francisco Ubaque as Regent to restore
order, the Viceroy being still in the island of Iviça. He landed at
Alcudia. The insurgents were then in occupation of the neighbouring
town of Puebla. They resumed the siege of Alcudia in September, but
they were again repulsed after a very desperate attempt to carry the
place by assault.
The Emperor was at Brussels, and at last he was induced to attend to
the deplorable condition of Majorca. An expedition was ordered to be
fitted out in the Catalonian ports to restore order and punish the
delinquents. Four large galleys, thirteen ships, and several smaller
vessels were fitted out, and 1,200 men were embarked under the command
of Don Francisco Carroz and Don Juan Velasco. The expedition first went
to Iviça to embark the Viceroy, Don Miguel de Gurrea or Urrea.
On October 15 the fleet entered the port of Pollenza. The rescuers
were received with great joy at Alcudia, where the Viceroy proclaimed
a general pardon to those who laid down their arms and returned
to obedience. Many came in, surrendering under the terms of the
proclamation; but others held out. At Palma there was great confusion,
the Bishop, Dr. Pont, working incessantly to induce the people to
submit.
At Pollenza the insurgents made a desperate resistance and there was
great slaughter, no quarter being given. Very few escaped to the
mountains. On November 5 the Viceroy, with all the chief officers and
three thousand soldiers, left Alcudia and advanced to Puebla, where
they only found two labourers and a priest. Other towns were found
without inhabitants. At Inca the people came out with their priests to
meet the Viceroy, singing a _Te Deum_. On March 1, 1523, the Viceroy
invested Palma with his army. Priamo de Villalonga had held out in the
castle of the Templars, then called the Royal Castle, for many months.
He was now relieved, and this disastrous insurrection approached its
end.
The last act of this melancholy drama was performed and described
by young Don Alonzo Enriquez de Guzman in his very entertaining
autobiography. He was ordered by the Viceroy of Valencia to take
command of five hundred men, and to sail from Murviedro, to reinforce
the army that was employed in re-establishing order in Majorca.
But the five hundred men refused to embark until they had received
their arrears of pay. After a great deal of trouble he at length
persuaded them to go on board, and they sailed to join the army in
Majorca in nine small vessels. Arriving off Palma at nightfall, Don
Alonzo, a young man in his twenty-third year, but with an amount
of self-assurance beyond his age, announced the arrival of a very
important reinforcement. The report was spread that his force consisted
of five thousand men. Captain Crispin, the leader of the rebels, came
out of the town with a guard of fifty men and sought speech with Don
Alonzo. He besought the young commander to mediate between him and the
Viceroy and induce him to consent to a deputation being sent to the
Emperor. He proposed that, while the deputies were going and coming,
Don Alonzo should remain in the city with thirty men, Crispin promising
to deliver the place to whomsoever the King should command.
Don Alonzo, with the approval of the Viceroy, agreed to this and
entered the city, the Viceroy’s army being encamped outside. After a
month the deputies returned, reporting that the Emperor had listened
to them every day for two hours during eight days, and that they were
very well satisfied. Nine days afterwards an order came to Don Alonzo
from the Emperor, and another from the Viceroy, which were delivered to
him through the closed gates. The Emperor instructed him to obey the
Viceroy. The order of the Viceroy was that he should seize the person
of Crispin and those of the thirteen members of his Council, and open
the gates at four o’clock that afternoon, being March 7, 1522. If the
people would not let him do so, he was to come out himself.
The orders came to Don Alonzo at ten in the forenoon. He at once
proceeded to the Plaza de Cort, where he found Crispin with his guards
and five of his councillors. He told them that he had received orders
to deliver up the city to Don Miguel de Urrea, the Viceroy, and
expressed a hope that they would keep faith and give evidence to the
Emperor that they were honest men. Crispin replied that he would be the
first to obey the orders of his Majesty. The rest all said the same.
Don Alonzo then went to dinner in the Almudaina, and each man departed
to his own house. After dinner he called an assembly, ordering no
one to bring his arms. Then, with many kind words, he put Crispin
and all his councillors in irons. This manœuvre having been safely
accomplished, he formed processions, with all the women and children
barefooted on one side and all the men barefooted on the other, and
made them go to the gates and open them, with loud cries for mercy. The
Viceroy and Don Juan de Velasco entered at the head of their troops,
Don Alonzo meeting them with the keys of the city, and saying: ‘The
gates are now open, and the desires of the people are turned to serve
the King and your Lordship. They seek for pardon.’
The Viceroy did not answer. He entered the city and executed what
he called justice. Crispin was cut into four quarters, as were all
his thirteen councillors. The number of persons who were hanged and
quartered was 420.
Such is the account of the surrender of Palma given by an eyewitness
and actor in the sanguinary drama.[22] One side seems to have been
every bit as bloodthirsty as the other. Time alone could heal the
wounds. Don Alonzo was sent to Iviça with his five hundred men, where
he did good service against Barbarossa and his pirates.
From the first rising to the restoration of order, the troubles had
lasted for more than two years.
Don Miguel de Gurrea or Urrea, the Viceroy, who had shown so much
prudence at the commencement when he was powerless, and so much courage
as soon as he had troops at his disposal, sent the keys of the kingdom
to the Emperor. Keys finely worked in gold were sent in their place,
which the descendants of Gurrea preserve to this day. Alcudia received
the title of ‘the most faithful city.’
The principal nobles who valorously resisted the rebellion and restored
order were Priamo de Villalonga, Alfonso Torrella, Salvador Sureda,
Jayme Oleza, Matias Fortuñy, Mateo Togores, Albertin Damato, Antonio
Gual, Zaforteza, Despuig, Cotoner--all names which appear in the annals
of their country, from generation to generation, down to this day.
The insurrection caused great misery and destruction of property,
and it was quite a century before the islanders can be said to have
recovered from its evil effects, either morally or as regards their
industries and general well-being.