A 1907 oil painting by Catalan artist Antonio Estruch shows the riots of June 1640 in Catalonia, which marked the start of the Reapers’ War
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On Corpus Christi day in 1640, popular unrest in Barcelona ignited into a full-scale uprising. Riots erupted across the city, spearheaded by segadors – ‘reapers’ – who used sickles as weapons.
Amid the chaos, the Viceroy of Catalonia, Dalmau de Queralt, was lynched by the insurgents. They seized control of strategic points, including the city gates, and declared support for the region’s independence from Spain. This marked the beginning of the Catalan Revolt, also known as the Reapers’ War, which would last until 1659.