A document of astonishing relevance: the 1359 decree of Catalonia's autonomy
Act of the Court of Cervera

Act of the Court of Cervera
The government of the still autonomous region of Catalonia was established on December 19, 1359
It was established at a meeting of the three orders – clerics, nobles, and peasants – at Cervera
The governing commission consisted of twelve members from the three orders and were led by a clergyman
Act of the Court of Cervera
- Die Tätigkeit des Gerichts von Cervera
- Acta de la Cort de Cervera
Short Description
This historic document from the 14th century documents a significant part of Catalonian history: the establishment of the of the Diputació del General under King Pedro IV in 1359. This commission for the administration of the tax system is the predecessor of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the government of the autonomous region of Catalonia with its seat in the historic Palau de Generalitat in Barcelona. A unique artifact of this exciting chapter of Spanish history that continues to this day!
Act of the Court of Cervera
This document was signed on December 19, 1359: the Acta de les Corts de Catalunya celebrada en Cervera en el año 1359. In doing so, the cornerstone was laid for the government of the still autonomous region of Catalonia. Today, this document of such historical significance, a piece of parchment measuring 76.5 x 64 cm, is stored in Cervera, a city in the central Lleida region of autonomous Catalonia.
From the corts to the Generalitat
At Cervera in the years 1358–9 in the so-called corts (Cortes catalanes), there was the annual meeting of representatives of all ranks – clerics, nobles, and peasants. At the time of the reign of King Pedro IV of Aragon (1336–1387), the establishment of a standing committee was agreed upon, which was supposed to fulfill the responsibilities of the tax system. This commission consisted of twelve members from the three orders and were led by a clergyman. Under the name Diputació del General, it marked an important event of Catalonian history and is even the precursor of the later Generalitat.
The First President
The historic document in the Arxiu Comarcal de la Segarra in Cervera documents this event in a charter with Latin text. The delegation chosen for the Diputació del General, which was responsible for the collection and administration of taxes, was headed by Berenguer de Crüilles, Bishop of Girona from 1359 to 1362. As such, he was the first president of the Generalitat of Catalunya, the body of the Catalonia government, which has administered political, financial, and legislative matters since the 15th century and continues to function today as the government of the autonomous region of Catalonia along with the presidents and the parliament.
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- Die Tätigkeit des Gerichts von Cervera
Acta de la Cort de Cervera - Style
1 available facsimile edition(s) of „Act of the Court of Cervera“
Acta de la Cort de Cervera
- Publisher
- Millennium Liber –
- Limited Edition
- 995 copies
- Binding
- Act and study volume are cased in a elegant box.
- More Information
- Specail aged parchment paper.
Matching Works
Wolfenbüttel Mirror of Saxony
Everyday medieval law and the oldest German-language prose: the "predecessor of Basic Law", adorned with no less than 776 Gothic miniatures
Experience MoreCodex Veitia
The calendars, counting methods, and festivals of a past culture: a rare and wonderfully illuminated testimonial to the disappearing culture of the Aztecs
Experience MoreMatching Background Articles
Chronicles
Take a deep dive into history with a medieval chronicler, trace the history of the world or focus on the history of a...Experience more
- Treatises / Secular Books
- Apocalypses / Beatus
- Astronomy / Astrology
- Bestiaries
- Bibles / Gospels
- Chronicles / History / Law
- Geography / Maps
- Saints' Lives
- Islam / Oriental
- Judaism / Hebrew
- Single Leaf Collections
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Literature / Poetry
- Liturgical Manuscripts
- Medicine / Botany / Alchemy
- Music
- Mythology / Prophecies
- Psalters
- Other Religious Books
- Games / Hunting
- Private Devotion Books
- Other Genres
- Aboca Museum
- Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA)
- Aldo Ausilio Editore - Bottega d’Erasmo
- Alecto Historical Editions
- Ars Magna
- ArtCodex
- AyN Ediciones
- Bärenreiter-Verlag
- Belser Verlag
- Belser Verlag / WK Wertkontor
- Bernardinum Wydawnictwo
- BiblioGemma
- Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Vaticanstadt, Vaticanstadt)
- Bibliotheca Palatina Faksimile Verlag
- Bibliotheca Rara
- CAPSA, Ars Scriptoria
- Circulo Cientifico
- Club Bibliófilo Versol
- CM Editores
- Collezione Apocrifa Da Vinci
- Comissão Nacional para as Comemorações dos Descobrimentos Portugueses
- Coron Verlag
- De Agostini/UTET
- DIAMM
- E. Schreiber Graphische Kunstanstalten
- Ediciones Boreal
- Ediciones Grial
- Edilan
- Editalia
- Edition Leipzig
- Edition Libri Illustri
- Editiones Reales Sitios S. L.
- Editions Medicina Rara
- Editorial Mintzoa
- Egeria, S.L.
- Extraordinary Editions
- Facsimile Editions Ltd.
- Facsimilia Art & Edition Ebert KG
- Faksimile Verlag
- Franco Cosimo Panini Editore
- Fundación Hullera Vasco-Leonesa
- Giunti Editore
- Graffiti
- Grafica European Center of Fine Arts
- Helikon
- Herder Verlag
- Hes & De Graaf Publishers
- Hugo Schmidt Verlag
- Idion Verlag
- Il Bulino, edizioni d'arte
- Imago
- Insel Verlag
- Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana - Treccani
- Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato
- Kaydeda Ediciones
- La Meta Editore
- Leo S. Olschki
- Libreria Musicale Italiana
- Lumen Artis
- M. Moleiro Editor
- Manuscriptum
- Millennium Liber
- Nova Charta
- Orbis Mediaevalis
- Orbis Pictus
- Österreichische Staatsdruckerei
- Patrimonio Ediciones
- PIAF
- Popyläen Verlag
- Prestel Verlag
- Priuli & Verlucca, editori
- Pro Sport Verlag
- Pytheas Books
- Quaternio Verlag Luzern
- Reales Sitios
- Reichert Verlag
- Roberto Vattori Editore
- Salerno Editrice
- Schöck ArtPrint Kft.
- Scrinium
- Scripta Maneant
- Scriptorium
- Siloé, arte y bibliofilia
- Styria Verlag
- Tempus Libri
- Testimonio Compañía Editorial
- The Clear Vue Publishing Partnership Limited
- The Facsimile Codex
- The Folio Society
- Tip.Le.Co
- TouchArt
- Trident Editore
- Vallecchi
- Van Wijnen
- Vicent Garcia Editores
- Wiener Mechitharisten-Congregation (Wien, Österreich)
- Yushodo