ABSTRACT
The Catalan case fits with the trend, detected throughout continental Europe from the 13th century onwards, towards parliamentary expansion—a trend which ended up being neutralised, or in some instances even annihilated, by the triumph of absolutism (in 1714, in this particular case). Nevertheless, two significant features set the example from Catalan institutions apart, both of them due to the vitality of its constitutionalism. This vitality is particularly evident during its final stage, at the beginning of the War of the Spanish Succession and throughout the duration of the conflict. In this short span of time, royal sovereignty was eroded to a considerable degree, transcending the design of the medieval parliamentary model as outlined by Michel Hébert. Moreover, Catalan constitutionalism was able to consolidate and widen the political representation of the Royal Estate, and even that of the “common man,” rather than following the general trend towards oligarchisation. These two evolutions gave rise to substantial political development, which was exceptional in its time.
