/ Photo Archives Jean-Michel Mazet
This is a story that feels necessarily powder: the famous gun in question here is an accessory faitg Carlist wars (King Don Carlos) of the nineteenth century. Investigation …
Why, there is not so long, Petit Nerac néracais area on the right bank, called it “Little Madrid”? The explanation is of course history. 1840, Spain, the “Carlist”, ie supporters of King Don Carlos, suffered an unprecedented face defeat the armies of the “usurper Isabel,” daughter Christine. The zealots of Don Carlos were accordingly expelled from Spain. On the international king – in princely Conditions – Bourges and his followers expelled from the Iberian land, asked the consuls hospitality of our region where they found the son of “Joséphinos” (Spanish partisans of Bonaparte), who also came home after the defeat of 1814. In short, the Lot-et-Garonne is peopled with many Spaniards. Which, as the Italians in 1920, made his wealth. It is for this reason that the Petit Nerac bore, from the late nineteenth century, the name of Petit-Madrid.
But the story does not stop there. This is not because Don Carlos had been defeated, his son, in 1874, had given up the idea of ??returning to the land of his ancestors. He prepared a new Carlist war.
echoes of that battle overseas Pyrenees were closely followed by the “Spanish” nationals refugees on hospital land Garonne. Thus they learned that the new Don Carlos did not show its willingness to reclaim his throne immediately. It is only by some strong statements he remembered the loving memory of his, who lived peacefully on the other side of the Bidassoa. Barking far, it does not kill anyone, but it means. However, in 1872, his way of claiming evolved in a somewhat more vivid. King, in fact, returned to Spain. In 1873, he established his headquarters at Estella, meaning “star” and is located on the famous Way of Saint Jacques de Compostela.
Estella, Don Carlos published some strong strong apparent. They had the effect of awakening the soul combative son of former Spanish emigrants. The side of the Garonne, we went committees that were intended to facilitate the Carlist propaganda and collect some money we would pay – when the need would arise – to the relief fund for future fighters. We bought equipment: carts, wagons, cattle. Oxen for food and clean to make war horses spun for a Spartan to Bayonne and Spain.
This
garonnaise stewardship allowed Juan Carlos comforting his men, and therefore their morale. When the belly is full, the heart is serene. Meanwhile, Agen, a Jaime Serrano, harangued supporters touting the Iberian soul. after his fiery speech, it was the quest. They gave him a lot of money. We stopped when we learned that Jaime kept it all -. More exactly a lady of easy virtue he loved in secret
succession was taken by some “Pontifical Society of Agen,” which, 12 July 1874, received this amazing circular: “It would be great if you do to His Majesty Charles VII the gift of a gun. This will doubtless seem expensive, but we sincerely hope that your department will not fail to join the concert will all canons of Catholic France committees. “
For the church, pacifist vocation was evidently collection. Moreover, Don Carlos, in Epistole he addressed members of the committee Agen, is congratulated by recalling: “I want to keep all of you my affectionate remembrance and very Catholic.” Such remarks incite stingy to cough it up. Receive a letter from the “king”, it necessarily tickles moods. So we organized a wide quest. The money came from everywhere. A lady Sentac even offered 500 francs, representing a year’s salary of a worker. At the end of August, the sum of 7000 francs was collected. It served to pay a fine gun, obviously Catholic, Apostolic and Agen. It was called the “Charles Martel” and wore badges of Perigord and Agen. Which gave him look great. He probably many dead in the enemy ranks. New well which gave happiness to Catholic garonnais gators …
> Tomorrow: The Circle
Garonnais of buttock-Mathieu