Continuities and changes in the agricultural system of the Catalan Countries (XIVth-XVth centuries)

Abstract

The agricultural structure of Catalonia, the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands during the final centuries of the Middle Ages was characterized by great dynamism, with the emergence of commercial crops, urban penetration and the centrality of the market, in its various aspects, such as products, labour and credit. However, except for the rare cases of some parishes of Mallorca, the small holdings resisted massive expropriations or the deep remodelling of property, as had happened in other European areas. This paper seeks to assesss the impacts of the changes and of the continuities during this period, and the specific reasons in each case.