Alterations of Aragon

To a situation already deteriorated in Aragon by the problems in the county of Ribagorza,[1] the despotic treatment of the vassals by their lords[2] and the repression of their revolts in the alterations of Ariza, Ayerbe and Monclús, the protests against the abuse of the Privilege of the Twenty by Zaragoza,[3] the violent confrontations between highlanders and moriscos[4] and by the lawsuit of the foreign viceroy, in April 1590 and aided by his wife, Antonio Pérez, entered Aragon.

After this Heredia and his followers attacked and mortally wounded the Marquis of Almenara, representative of the King in the lawsuit of the foreign viceroy, after his servants were disarmed by the Justice.

[7] The inquisitors of Zaragoza published an edict recalling the serious penalties that could be imposed on those who mistreated the ministers of the Holy Office, and the rioters responded with new threats.

[8] When Philip II received news of the riot and of the later death of Almenara, he ordered that the forces that were preparing to support the Catholic League in the War of the three Enriques in France[9] were to concentrate in the strong square of Ágreda, near the border with Aragon.

[10] After being consulted by his advisers, the King wrote a missive to the universities and towns of Aragon, describing to them the tumult of Zaragoza and asking them for calm and obedience to what the viceroy ordered.

[17] After much discussion and great preparations, the Aragonese authorities arranged that the transfer of Antonio Pérez to the prison of the Inquisition would take place on September 24, but two days earlier the justice Juan de Lanuza y Perellós died and, in accordance with the king's advance arrangements, he was succeeded in the position by his son Juan de Lanuza y Urrea, only twenty-six years old.

The governor threatened to kill anyone who gave the slightest hint of opposing justice, and a young man who shouted "Long live liberty" was shot dead by one of the arquebusiers,[20] after which the supporters of Perez rang the bell of the church of San Pablo.

[23] When the news of what happened in Zaragoza reached the royal court, Philip II ordered the meeting of a Board of State that decided to reinforce the border with France to prevent the French from coming to the support of the rebels and to try to apprehend the fugitive.

[24] Antonio Pérez, having cut off his access to France, decided to return to Zaragoza secretly, where he was in contact with the leaders of the rebels, inciting them to believe that the royal army was going to enter Aragon to repeal their charters.

The justice, backed by four of his five lieutenants, confirmed the contrafuero and ordered the resistance to the royal troops, with which the foral authorities of the kingdom formally declared war on their King.

[34] The deputies confirmed what they had decided,[35] so the king ordered his general, Alonso de Vargas, to prepare to enter Aragon with his army.

[47] Upon hearing the news in the camp of Utebo, the troops were dispersed in all directions,[48] fleeing Antonio Perez and his main supporters to Bearn (France).

[50] The followers of Pérez tried to pass back to Aragon with the support of Henry de Navarra, but they were repulsed and some of their leaders, including Heredia, captured and executed.

Juan V de Lanuza returned to Zaragoza, where he was captured and beheaded overnight by personal order of Philip II in the market square without trial, the same fate that befell many of those who led the revolt.

The components of the crown of Aragon were going through a moment of already long economic depression and his Courts normally granted him the requested credits, besides he conserved the greatest power in the richest parts of the kingdom: Castile and America.