The so-called “derecho de bolla” was an indirect tax applied to all goods sold in Catalonia during the 16th century until 1769. Within the Catalan market, the textile industry was an important sector. The graph shows a decrease in the collection of the bolla tax from 1599 to 1695. Undoubtedly, as the author points out, the decline of the Catalan textile sector meant lower revenues. The industry of this product lost competitiveness as a result of the counterfeiting that took place, both in the fabric and in the dyes. This was compounded by the massive influx of fabrics from central and northern Europe. Even with margins for modernisation of the sector, the “War of Separation or the War of the Reapers” between 1640 and 1659, with the incorporation of Catalonia into French sovereignty after the betrayal of the Catalan elites to the Spanish Monarchy, led to the numerous imports of French products into this territory, increasing the level of tax collection of the bolla duty despite the detriment of the local product. The demographic decline also led to lower consumption and production; nevertheless, the level of tax collection was bicephalic. Thus, the level of consumption was just as important as the effective collection capacity of the authorities, a capacity that led to collection problems due to political and social instability.
Collection: Graphics
Project: 6. Under a cloak of terror: violence and armed conflict in Europe.
Chronology: XVI, XVII
Scope: Secondary Education, Baccalaureate, University
Resource type: Graph
Format: Line chart
Source: Durán Pujol, M. (2003). "Oferta y consumo de tejidos en Cataluña en la segunda mitad del siglo XVIII", en Revista de Historia Económica, XXXI, número extraordinario, p. 66.
Language: Spanish
Date: 2003
Owner: Pablo Ballesta Fernández (Modernalia)
Copyright: ©Revista de Historia Económica ©Montserrat Durán Pujol
Abstract: The resource shows the collection of Catalan taxes; explanatory patterns based on war, political and social conflicts that affected the production and collection power of the authorities
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Tags
BarcelonaCataluñaConsumoDerecho de BollaFiscalidadFranciaGuerra de SeparaciónGuerra dels SegadorsHistoria EconómicaProducciónSiglo XVISiglo XVIITextil
