ABSTRACT
The Kingdom of Valencia, just like the other territories of the Crown of Aragon, was ruled according to a pactist system, whereby it had its own representative institutions through which it was actively represented on the political scene, defending the constitutional order as well as its own interests. In this chapter, I analyse the role played by the main political institutions: the Corts (the Valencian parliament) and the more permanent Three Estates, whose proceedings were conveyed through the Junta d’Electes (board of elected members of the Estates). In addition to this, the municipal institutions also had systems of representation within their own jurisdictions. The more important ones among these, especially Valencia, which was the capital of the kingdom, played an active role in the relationship between the kingdom and the monarchy. This chapter also traces the growth of royal authoritarianism, which occurred at the expense of the pactist system, and the institutional mechanisms that ultimately replaced representatives institutions; with the Decreto de abolición de los Fueros (Decree of abolition of the Furs, the Valencian code of laws), enacted in 1707, Philip V suppressed the kingdom’s In addition to this, the municipal institutions also had systems of representation within their own jurisdictions. The more important ones among these, especially Valencia, which was the capital of the kingdom, played an active role in the relationship between the kingdom and the monarchy. This chapter also traces the growth of royal authoritarianism, which occurred at the expense of the pactist system, and the institutional mechanisms that ultimately replaced representatives institutions; with the Decreto de abolición de los Fueros (Decree of abolition of the Furs, the Valencian code of laws), enacted in 1707, Philip V suppressed the kingdom’s representative institutions and forced local councils to adopt the Castilian model, obliterating the last remains of representativeness in major municipalities.
