French departments of Spain
Encyclopedia
The French departments of Spain were territorial subdivisions of the territory conquered in Catalonia
in 1812 by the First French Empire
at the outset of the Peninsular War
. As with the other foreign departments of the Empire, their annexation by France was never officially validated even by France itself and they were officially suppressed on 10 March 1814 before being returned to Spain.
The decree, however, was never published in the Bulletin des Lois
de l'Empire français and was not officialised by a Sénatus-consulte
, leaving the new departments' juridicial status incomplete. In the museum at Figueras (catalan Figueres) in the province of Girona is a reproduction of the Le Moniteur which created these four departments.
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
in 1812 by the First French Empire
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
at the outset of the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
. As with the other foreign departments of the Empire, their annexation by France was never officially validated even by France itself and they were officially suppressed on 10 March 1814 before being returned to Spain.
Departments of 1812
The territory annexed by the Empire by a decree of 26 January 1812 was divided by the same decree into four departments:- Bouches-de-l'ÈbreBouches-de-l'ÈbreBouches-de-l'Èbre was a former département of the First French Empire in present day Spain. It was created on 26 January 1812 on Catalonia's annexation by the French Empire...
(prefecture : Lérida) - MontserratMontserrat (department)Montserrat was a former département of the First French Empire in present day Spain. It was created on 26 January 1812 on Catalonia's annexation by the French Empire. Its subprefectures were Manresa and Vilafranca del Penedès...
(prefecture : BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
) - SègreSègre (department)Sègre was a former département of the First French Empire in present day Spain, named after the Segre river. It was created on 26 January 1812 on Catalonia's annexation by the French Empire. Its subprefectures were Talarn, Solsona and Cervera...
(prefecture : PuigcerdaPuigcerdàPuigcerdà is the capital of the Catalan comarca of Cerdanya, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, northern Spain, near the river Segre and the border with France .- History :...
) - TerTer (department)Ter was a former département of the First French Empire in present day Spain, named after the Ter river. It was created on 26 January 1812 on Catalonia's annexation by the French Empire. Its subprefectures were Vic and Figueres...
(prefecture : GironaGironaGirona is a city in the northeast of Catalonia, Spain at the confluence of the rivers Ter, Onyar, Galligants and Güell, with an official population of 96,236 in January 2009. It is the capital of the province of the same name and of the comarca of the Gironès...
)
The decree, however, was never published in the Bulletin des Lois
Bulletin des lois
The Bulletin des lois was a publication created during the French Revolution, as an "official anthology of the laws, orders and regulations that govern" the people...
de l'Empire français and was not officialised by a Sénatus-consulte
Sénatus-consulte
A sénatus-consulte was a feature of French law during the French Consulate, First French Empire and Second French Empire.-Consulate and First Empire:...
, leaving the new departments' juridicial status incomplete. In the museum at Figueras (catalan Figueres) in the province of Girona is a reproduction of the Le Moniteur which created these four departments.
Departments of 1813
On 7 March 1813 the above four departments were merged into two:- Bouches-de-l'Èbre-MontserratBouches-de-l'Èbre-MontserratBouches-de-l'Èbre-Montserrat was a department of France created in Spain on 7 March 1813 by merging the departments of Bouches-de-l'Èbre and Montserrat. This merger was established by decree but never published in the Bulletin des lois, leaving its judicial status uncertain. The department was...
, by merging des Bouches-de-l'Èbre and Montserrat (prefecture : Barcelona) - Sègre-TerSègre-TerSègre-Ter was a department of France created in Spain on 7 March 1813 by merging the departments of Sègre and Ter. This merger was established by decree but never published in the Bulletin des lois, leaving its judicial status uncertain. The department was officially suppressed on 10 March 1814.-...
, by merging Sègre and Ter (prefecture : Girona)