La crisis catalana de la Baja Edad Media: estado de la cuestión

Abstract

Pierre Vilar’s thesis about the decline of Catalonia during the Late Middle Ages was formulated forty years ago. This paper reviews the different interpretations published afterwards and, at the same time, suggests several adjustments to the original thesis. These adjustments include the distinction between factors causing decline and delay, assessing the relative importance of each and their effect on the economic system, and also the clear-cut identification of periods of growth. The result is a more complex and less monolithic vision of the decline and delay of Catalonia at the end of the Middle Ages.