Witchcraft in Caldes De Montbui

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TOURISTIC TOUR BY COOLTUR TURISME CULTURAL

WITCHCRAFT IN CALDES DE MONTBUI

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Witchcraft in Caldes de Montbui

During the seventeenth century, in Catalonia is known this period as a "bad years", a few years where droughts in summer and freezing winters affected much to the population. The peasant world would find the culprit of all these calamities, believing it was the work of the devil himself with the help of his earthly worshipers, witches and warlocks.

By popular pressures, during the years 1617-1627, there was a hard chase to catch and convict all witches.

Who the witches were?

Most women who were convicted of witchcraft had a rural background. Many of them were elderly and had great knowledge of the local flora, with that prepared ointments and natural medicines. Also they tended to be women who helped in childbirth neighbouring.

What were the witches accused for?

All the accused were convicted of having made a pact with the devil, denying thus the Catholic religion. They are used to assign spells that harmed farmers in the area, including the creation of storms, longer droughts, livestock deaths, the death of creatures, poisoning, have carnal dealings with the devil ....

Trial and conviction

Most people who were accused of witchcraft were tried by civilian courts typically advised by people claiming to be able to see, in the skin of witches, invisible marks that the devil had left during the deal of witchcraft. One of the most famous man who was able to watch the brands that left the devil was Cosme Solé, known as "Tarragó".

Those accused of witchcraft had no guarantee at trial. In most trials, the accused received torture to force them to confess their crimes.

When a person was accused of witchcraft, it was hung on the gallows.

Legends of witches

Many of the legends that remain today speak of witchcraft. Most of these legends served to demonstrate the magnificence of God against the devil, giving a pattern of good behaviour who listened.

Caldes de Montbui

Since the fourteenth century Caldes became the capital of the Vallès Vegueria (a Catalan Region) and became the seat more stable magistrate's residence with the notary the magistracy and numerous Clerk and Attorney... www.cooltur.org © COOLTUR Turisme Cultural #unmondecultura

In 1445 Alfonso the Magnanimous proclaimed Caldes Arm, Member and Part of Barcelona, this meant for the inhabitants of Caldes a social and economic benefits because they were considered as inhabitants of Barcelona.

In the sixteenth century Caldes enjoyed a certain economic stability. Out of some episodes featuring brigands like the squad that faced the troops vice regal 1544, we have little information on the history of the town. What stands out is the construction activity: it was the remodelling inside the medieval hospital facility, the remodelling of Banys Nous and the beginning of construction of a new town hall on the Old Roman Baths. In 1549 began the construction of the chapel of Remedy and in 1549 the new parish church of Santa Maria. These facts reveal a remarkable economic vitality of the city, resulting in a sustained population growth.

During the seventeenth century Caldes de Montbui still resisted to be one of the economic centre of this region. This city kept the Curia judicial and the prison.

From COOLTUR we suggest a tour through Caldes places where events were held witchcraft, as well as the processes and executions.

Font del Lleó Square - Roman Baths

This tour will begins and ends at the Font del Lleó Square. We can see, in this Square, the remains of Roman baths, now restored. For much of the last century, these terms were part of the building of the University of Caldes. The University was, for a town, the actual Town Council. The University was generally formed by the heads of people's house and had legal personality before the King or feudal lords. Although the meetings were in public places (not all fit), the Mayor, the Diocesan Curia and the scribes were placed in this building.

In early May of 1619, the mayor of La Garriga sent a letter to invite several nearby villages to attend the interrogation of an alleged witch who had captured into the town. The representative of Caldes was Francesc Ragasol and he moved to La Garriga on 22 May and heard the interrogation of this woman.

On 29 May he took the order to arrest two women accused of witchcraft in Caldes: Margarida Pujol i Ras i Eulàlia Puig i Raga. The wave of arrests swept across the Vallés region and the the most famous witch hunters of Catalonia were presented in more than one town.

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These two women exposed a total of eight more women, who were arrested and driven to jail. It must be said that these accusations were made without interrogation or torture. But the arrests were made between six and fourteen of September, so the two women had closed in prison for more than three months.

The jail of Caldes consisted were placed in the corridor of the old bath, were the cells were placed into the bricked arches. On the other side of these cells was running a bathhouse. We can imagine the dark and the warmth of this prison. .

Head north to Font del Lleó Square to Pont Street 8 m Turn left onto Pont Street

Pont Street

The 7th of September, while other arrests were made, the council of Caldes agreed to interrogated and tortured women outside the town, in a discreet place. To perform this task was designated the attic of the house of Joseph Bonvilar, farmer and member of the Caldes Council. The house was just across the Roman Bridge, just beside the Sentmenat road. It was agreed to enable an entrance porch and a car to make the transport. Surely, the car left the prison and went down the street to the Pont Street of the same name. After crossing the bridge women were tortured one by one.

Head northwest to Pont Street to Les Cremades 31 m Turn left to Les Cremades 160 m Enter the roundabout. www.cooltur.org © COOLTUR Turisme Cultural #unmondecultura

12 m Torre Roja Street, 1

Les Cremades - Bonvilar House

The abundant documentation says that as of September 12 were a series of rapid interrogations at accused women. In the attic of Bonvilar House there were the mayor and councilors of Caldes, Judge Joseph Estevanell of Barcelona, Nicolau Adrià as a fiscal and three friars. A few months later, on November 6, began the torture. To this torture team was incorporated the scribe and notary of Caldes, the surgeon and the executioners of the town magistrate of Barcelona. With the threat of hair and shave all body hair or tying the arms back and tighten them with ropes, because there was enough for the women, almost naked, confessed to being guilty of the charges. In the adjoining room, the accused had to sign their confessions, perfectly recorded by the clerk. If the accused women didn’t know read or write, most of them didn’t know, one of the attendees signed by the condemned.

Head east 12 m Exit the roundabout towards the Les Cremades bridge 160 m Turn left onto Major Street 290 m Turn left onto Bigues Street 750 m Turn right on Sant Salvador / C-59 crossing the c-59 23 m Take the paved right to the cemetery 190 m At the cemetery turn the track on the left. 1.2 km Can Camp 08140 Caldes de Montbui, Barcelona

Can Camp

The first women tortured in Caldes, Eulàlia Puig I Braga was the only one that was applied physical torture. The woman gave a long list of names of other alleged witches and, above all, a www.cooltur.org © COOLTUR Turisme Cultural #unmondecultura list of places where they had gathered, at least in the last 14 years. The area around Can Camp, called the events Casa de Can Padrós, was a meeting place for witches in the area. It is a place that is more or less in the middle of all the populations of the "witches" who came to the meetings. Can Camp was used several times to perform spells.

Head northeast along the same track 450 meters Slight right onto Lledoners Avenue 500 meters Turn right onto Lledoners Avenue 54 m Lledoners Avenue 08140 Caldes de Montbui, Barcelona

Forn de Can Padrós

One place that stands out is the Field oven of Can Padrós, probably a lime kiln, relatively far from the house, as used to be the custom of the time. Today there is no rest, but we know its approximate location, near the stream. Here there were witches between 1605 and 1617, according to the confessions of Eulàlia Puig. There, about twenty-five people worship the devil and it was put some poison into the water stream nearby, then broke with long sticks and this provoked a storm of stones. Fog was also caused and the poisoning of a mule in Polinyà.

Head south on Lledoners Avenue 190 m Slight right onto the track. Always follow the middle path. Most of the route along green and white, but when you turn right into the woods, leave it and follow the wide track. 1.2 km

Puig Aguilar – Pla d’Aguilar

In 1614 there was an important meeting of a dozen witches of the region, according to the confessions of the accused. There she worshiped the Devil with blue light yellow www.cooltur.org © COOLTUR Turisme Cultural #unmondecultura

candles and danced traditional dances (Sardana) around. Then some went down to the stream and sent to Can Camp a powder of dried herbs and arsenic, which created a storm of stone that fell on Caldes and Torre Negrell, causing damage to many crops.

Optional visit Follow the same path south to the C-1415b 150 meters Crossing the C-1415b 5 m

Salt de les Bruixes (optional)

This place is one of the few who has kept a name related to the events of 1619. As we have seen, has always been associated with many streams of witches covens and spells. The waterfall was in a gorge of the Torrent de les Bruixes, which opened from there. Unfortunately the roads of Granollers crop this water jump and today we can only contemplate the drying pool.

From the hill Aguilar Return along the same path, we take the first track on the right 100 meters We arrive at a crossroads; take the path down the left. We follow new green and white (itinerary Roure Gros) 300m We cross the stream twice Can Camp, we go on the road to finish crossing the Manolo Hugué street 2.3 km Head west towards Street Manolo Hugué to Jaume I Street 32 m Turn right on Joan Miró Street 33 m www.cooltur.org © COOLTUR Turisme Cultural #unmondecultura

Turn left onto Granollers Street 400 meters Turn right onto Balmes Street 260 m Turn left on Torrent de Salze Street 91 m Turn right on Major Street 130 m Turn right onto Remei Boulevard 280 m Remei Boulevard, 42

Puigdomí

Finally, once the confessions, women were brought car back to prison. After a short deliberation, the Council of the University of the Town decided to run in the November 26 market day. The intention was that all the people around, coming down to buy would witness how the law was respected in Caldes (and incidentally, increase sales). Early three women were hanged in the Major Square and, later, the other four were executed at the Forks of Puigdomí. This place should be found, more or less, at the end of the current Sant Jordi Street or slightly above. These forks, documented since the fourteenth century, were strategically located on the road from Vic (Remei Boulevard today). Thus, both the way the city of Vic, just as the Roman Bridge contemplated the executed. The Puigdomí hanged on 26 November were Úrsula Roca i Beya, Magdalena Vadrena del Pont, Maria la Gavatxa i Elisabet Rossell.

Head south on Remei Boulevard 230 m Turn right onto Canal Street 11 m Slight left to stay on Canal Street. 60 m Turn right onto Bell Street 80 m Turn left onto Vic Street

17 m Continue straight to Font dels Lleons Square 12 m Font dels Lleons Square 08140 Caldes de Montbui, Barcelona Font dels Lleons Square

In the Major Square of Caldes, as we said earlier, November 26 of 1619, market days, three accused of witchcraft were hanged: Eulàlia Puig i Braga, Margarida Pujol i Ras i Caterina David. On 30 November he was hanging in the same place Francina Marrast of Palau-Solità. This was questioned and enclosed in Caldes, though judged by the Council of Palau. Although on 21 January of 1620 Durga Sobregran such Casavellor were executed. Throughout the year 1620 still posted a Eulàlia of Castellar del Vallès and other women were arrested.

On 3 December of 1619 the University of Caldes met clashed to decide how the expenses of the witch hunt. Just keep in mind that some prisoners came to be closed more than 300 days, with maintenance by the municipal treasury. We should also add money to cover the witch hunters, executioners, notaries, prosecutors, monks, the judge and the town councillors to attend the interrogations. The mayor Joan Brunes was the only one who resigned to have a wage. A total of 153 accounts were 17 pounds and 4 sous. These processes were as expensive as made a new altar with gold for the Church. The Council decided to make a cut to the inhabitants of the municipality to cover at least half of the process. In 1620, the coffers were empty.

The processes were well documented in a list of 75 double-sided sheets, which today are in the Notarial Archive of Sabadell. This document represents one of the most reliable sources on cases of witchcraft that took place in 1619 and 1620 Vallès.

After a few months, Joseph Bonvilar and his family left their home because, apparently, the tortured screams of the night were still listening to the attic.

From COOLTUR we hope that you have enjoyed this tour, and you’ll have a nice day.