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Diari de Catalunya

New Work Explores the Peninsular War in Empordà from Napoleon's Perspective

The book, combining documentary rigor and a literary device, focuses on the devastation of the French invasion in the region and local resistance.

Generic image of a presentation room or library with a lectern and empty chairs, lit with warm light.
IA

Generic image of a presentation room or library with a lectern and empty chairs, lit with warm light.

A recent publication offers a novelized chronicle of the Peninsular War in Empordà, using the figure of Napoleon Bonaparte to narrate the events and the intense resistance of the local population.

The work, titled Cròniques de Napoleó a l’exili. Invasió francesa de Catalunya. La guerra a l’Empordà, presents a unique perspective in which Napoleon, from his exile on Saint Helena, reflects on the French invasion and its effects on the region. This literary approach is complemented by a solid documentary basis, making Alt Empordà a central stage of the historical narrative.
The volume stands out for its ability to connect grand European history with local reality. The author emphasizes that, within the conflict, places such as the siege of Girona, the castle of Sant Ferran in Figueres, Roses, La Jonquera, and Pont de Molins were key points. Furthermore, it highlights that Catalonia was one of the territories with the strongest armed opposition against French rule.
A relevant aspect of the book is the prominence it gives to the Miquelets and the Somatent, presented as the popular driving force of the resistance. The author points out that almost every town in the region can claim its own heroes among these militias and the regular army, with prominent figures who fought against the invader.
The narrative excels in describing the close-quarters warfare, including uprisings, guerrilla tactics, and the struggle for control of the castle of Sant Ferran. The work shows how Napoleon's imperial ambition clashed with a hostile territory and a mobilized population, which employed irregular forms of combat to wear down the occupier.
The documentary research for this work was primarily based on little-known sources, such as the Macià-Llavanera Archive of Can Massanet de Vilafant, the Municipal Archive of Llançà, and the Municipal Archive of Córdoba. This choice reflects a desire to disseminate unpublished information and provide a fresh perspective on the events.
Ultimately, Cròniques de Napoleó a l’exili offers an unconventional narrative approach, with a clear informative intention and a solid documentary background. The work champions the history of the towns, the somatenes, and the local resistance that took place behind the great Napoleonic campaigns, a history that, according to the author, still deserves to be told.

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