Who were the heroes of 1714? What happened in Barcelona that year? Was it a siege or a blockade? Dr. Martí asked the audience some questions to help them reflect on the events of 1714. Dr. Eduard Martí described the social, political and economic context of early 18th-century Barcelona, Catalonia, Europe and the Americas in order to explain the different points of view regarding the events that led up to Catalonia’s defeat on 11 September 1714.

“In 1714, a civil war and a world war were taking place at the same time”, said Martí in reference to the geopolitical situation that unfolded after Charles II of Spain died without a clear heir to the Spanish throne. Dr. Martí explained that the events cannot be simplified as a war between Spain and Catalonia, because the reality was much more complex. “It’s important to study the past in order to understand the present, but we’re dealing with very different times and we have to be careful when trying to establish direct correlations”, he said. “We don’t celebrate the defeat of 1714. We commemorate the men who died for an ideal that transcends personal interests. In a society that is more and more individualistic, this could be seen as provocative, which is exactly why it is our moral duty to celebrate the 300th anniversary”.

The lecture ended with a concert by the Barcelona Academic Metropolitan Orchestra, which played Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons.

Dr. Martí is a professor of History and the current Vice Dean of the UIC Faculty of Communication Sciences. His research focuses on the study of Catalan institutions during the Spanish War of Succession and their governing elites, particularly the lesser nobility and urban aristocracy. He is the author of La Conferència dels Tres Comuns (Fundació Ernest Lluch, 2008) and La Classe Dirigent Catalana (Fundació Noguera, 2009). He has most recently been studying forms of government during the siege of Barcelona. He has published several articles on this topic, including “Un ‘Golpe de Estado Concejil’? El Govern de la Ciutat de Barcelona Durant el Setge de 1713-1714” (2009) and “La Política de la Resistència Catalana a Barcelona” (2014). Dr. Martí has also written articles about forms of local and regional government such as provincial councils, the Consell de Cent and the Military Arm.