Historia de Barcelona

Etiqueta: Príncipe de Hesse-Darmstadt

  • Bajo órdenes desde Madrid de evitar peor destrucción, Barcelona se rinde a los franceses, acabándose así la Guerra de los Nueve Años

    Meanwhile, the French king, in the hope of procuring more favourable terms, resolved to make his last effort against the Spaniards in Catalonia and in the Netherlands, and to elevate the prince of Conti to the throne of Poland; an event which would have greatly improved the interest of France in Europe. Lewis had got the start of the confederates in Flanders, and sent thither a very numerous army, commanded by Catinat, Villeroy, and Boufflers.

    The campaign was opened with the siege of Aeth, which was no sooner invested, than king William, having recovered of an indisposition, took the field, and had an interview with the duke of Bavaria, who commanded a separate body. He did not think proper to interrupt the enemy in their operations before Aeth, which surrendered in a few days after the trenches were opened, but contented himself with taking possession of an advantageous camp, where he covered Brussels, which Villeroy and Boufflers had determined to besiege.

    In Catalonia the duke of Vendome invested Barcelona, in which there was a garrison often thousand regular soldiers, besides five thousand burghers, who had voluntarily taken arms on this occasion. The governor of the place was the prince of Hesse d’Armstadt, who had served in Ireland, and been vested with the command of the imperial troops which were sent into Spain.

    The French general being reinforced from Provence and Languedoc, carried on his approaches with surprising impetuosity; and was repulsed in several attacks by the valour of the defendants. At length the enemy surprised and routed the viceroy of Catalonia; and, flushed with this victory, stormed the outworks, which had been long battered with their cannon. The dispute was very bloody and obstinate: but the French, by dint of numbers, made themselves masters of the covered way and two bastions. There they erected batteries of cannon and mortars, and fired furiously on the town, which, however, the prince of Hesse resolved to defend to the last extremity.

    The court of Madrid, however, unwilling to see the place entirely ruined, as in all probability it would be restored at the peace, dispatched an order to the prince to capitulate; and he obtained very honourable terms, after having made a glorious defence for nine weeks; in consideration of which he was appointed viceroy of the province. France was no sooner in possession of this important place, than the Spaniards became as eager for peace as they had been before averse to a negotiation.

  • Tras el Tratado de Ryswich, las tropas españolas reemplazan a las francesas entre alegría popular

    In the Peninsula itself, the impact of the Nine Years War was most directly felt by Catalonia, where there had been fighting every year since 1690 and where the French slowly but steadily pressed forward after going on the defensive in other theatres. Like its successor, this war culminated in a siege of Barcelona, a city with about one-third the population of Madrid, an efficient artisan militia, and by Spanish standards a strong citadel. Barcelona succumbed to Vendôme’s army of 26,000 on 10 August 1697. The French evacuated it only on 4 January 1698, after exacting a final tribute. The Catalans, though they had long liked the French and detested Castilian interference, had suffered so heavily during the invasion as to welcome the return of Spanish troops with sincere joy. Loyalty to Carlos mounted when he accepted their objection to a proposed viceroy and sent them, instead, Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt, a cousin of the queen and an attractive personality, who had latterly distinguished himself in the Catalan war in command of 5,000 Imperial troops. He took the oaths in Barcelona on 9 February. This had great significance for the future.

  • Peterborough desembarca en Barcelona

    Peterborough landed, took the small fort of Denia, circulated proclamations in the name of Charles III, and, finding the disposition of the Spaniards in those parts to be very favorable, and that insurrections against the French claimant, Philip, had broken out in other quarters, he, with his characteristic daring, proposed making a forced march inland, and setting the Austrian on the throne at Madrid, which capital he was confident he could carry by a coup de main. But those who were acting with Peterborough had none of his romantic boldness ; his project was overruled, and he was constrained to go and undertake the siege of Barcelona. It may bo doubted whether it would not have been easier to march and take Madrid. There were 5000 brave men within the walls of Barcelona—the Spaniards in all ages have been famous for their resistance in such places—and the fortifications had recently undergone considerable repairs. Yet Peterborough landed, and sat down before the place in the end of August with little more than 6000 effective men.

  • Peterborough toma Montjuic; muere su compañero, Jorge de Darmstadt, un nuevo Cristo

    The English and Dutch generals serving under him were all of opinion that the attempt amounted to madness; but he persisted; and, throwing off all the trammels of routine and military pedantry, he carried on the siege in a way that confirmed all the old generals in their notion that the man was mad. They said that it was impossible such wild and irregular plans could succeed; but they succeeded nevertheless.

    It was, for example, against all rule and precedent to attack the castle before taking the town; but Peterborough saw that, if he could only take the strong castle of Montjuich, which commanded the town, first, the town itself must soon fall: he perceived at once that the arduous part of the undertaking was the capture of the castle; and, therefore, he resolved to begin with it while his men were fresh and vigorous, and free from those casualties and miseries which inevitably attend protracted sieges.

    Accordingly, he took a near view of the castle in person, discovered enough to convince him that the garrison in it was neither strong nor vigilant; and then, pretending to give up his enterprise, he reembarked some of his troops, in order to make the Spaniards believe he was on the point of sailing away. Communicating his real design to none but the Prince of Hesse Darmstadt, Peterborough, on the night of the 3d of September, suddenly put about 1400 men under arms, and sent them by two different byroads to fall upon the castle.

    The first body, consisting of 800 men he led in person, having the Prince of Hesse Darmstadt with him, who had volunteered to partake in the hazard. «The second body,» says Burnet, «were led by General Stanhope, from whom I had this account.»

    About daybreak Peterborough fell upon the defenses of the castle, and, with no artillery with him except a few small field-pieces and mortars, he established himself on the outworks; but the Prince of Hesse Darmstadt received a shot in his body, fell, and, expired soon after; Stanhope, owing to some of his men mistaking their way, did not come up for some time; and the Spanish governor made a fierce sally from the body of the castle, hoping to sweep the assailants down the hill before him. But Peterborough and his brave men kept their ground: the Spaniard, thinking them more numerous than they were, wheeled round without coming to blows, and ran back within the castle.

    Then Stanhope’s men came up, and Peterborough threw a few bombs into the castle. One of these bombs fell into the powder magazine, blew it up, and caused the death of the governor and some of the best officers, and thereupon the rest surrendered without delay.

  • «Pitarra» gana un segundo premio en la sección «englatina de oro» de los Juegos Florales con «Lo fossar de las moreras», ¿fuente del mito?

    En el salón de la Casa-Lonja, preciosamente adornado, se celebraron ayer con la acostumbrada solemnidad los Juegos Florales. Antes de abrirse las puertas de aquel salón, gran número de personas se hallaban ya reunidas en la calle del Consulado. El bello sexo fue obsequiado con ramos de flores.

    Presidió este acto el señor Gobernador, quien dirigió frases de elogio á los modernos trovadores. Seguidamente el señor Duran y Bas, presidente del Consistorio, pronunció un discurso que por cierto no estuvo adecuado al acto que se celebraba.

    El señor Franquesa y Gomis, secretario del Jurado, leyó una bien escrita memoria.

    Abierto el pliego que contenía el nombre del autor premiado con la flor natural, resultó ser don Francisco de A. Matheu y Fornells, quien, acompañado de dos señores mantenedores, pasó á ofrecerla, entre nutridos aplausos, á la señora doña Irene [aka Irena] de Sanromá.

    Esta señora, pues, fue proclamada Reina de la Fiesta y pasó á ocupar el sillón á ella destinado. Vestía un rico traje de terciopelo negro y adornaba graciosamente su cabeza, airosa mantilla blanca prendida con flores naturales.

    La poesía premiada del señor Matheu, se titula «Primavera» y fué leida con buena entonación por don José Blanch y Piera. «Primavera» se distingue por su buena versificación y por las delicadas imágenes que contiene.

    Los accésits á este premio se adjudicaron de la manera siguiente: Primero: á la poesía «Idili» de don Ramón E. Bassegoda. Segundo: «L’ aviona» de don Joaquín Riera y Bertrán. Además se concedieron menciones honoríficas á las poesías «La cansó de la cadena», «Marinas», «Locap del dol» y «Cop de mar.»

    El premio de la «englatina de oro» lo obtuvo don Ramón Picó y Campamarcon su enérgico y precioso romance «Depressa» que leyó el citado señor Blanch. Accésits á dicho premio: 1.° «Lo fossar de las moreras», de Federico Soler y Hubert. 2.° «Gelosía», cuyo autor se ignora. Se mencionaron «L’ auba de la patria» y «Lo vent mastral.»

    Premio de la «Viola de oro.» Fue adjudicado á «Los dos Cresos», bonita y original poesía que recuerda los idilios griegos y cuyo autor resultó ser don Apeles Mestres. Don José Roca y Roca leyó magistralmente la citada composición. Accésits: Primero «La má del albat» de don Pablo Bertrán y Brós; y segundo «Las balladoras», de don Fernando Agulló.

    Los premios extraordinarios se adjudicaron como sigue: «Brot de llorer de plata»; «La Verge de Bethania», poesía de excelente versificación, original de don Ramón E. Bassegoda, leida por el señor Cabot. Accésit: «Currandas rosellesas» de M. Pierre Coustrait. «Estuche regalado por don Pedro Mártir Sancristofol.» «Lo serraller», cuadro en prosa de don Emilio Vilanova. «Joya artística» ofrecida por la Revista Literaria. «L’ escanya pobres», novela de don Narciso Oller y Moragas. Mención honorífica: «La reyneta del Cadí».«Objeto de arte»: «La Caponada», de don Jaime Collell, presbítero. Leyóla el mismo autor con la buena entonación que le es propia.

    Terminó la poética fiesta con un magnífico discurso de gracias, escrito por el distinguido mantenedor M. Justin Pepratx.