Spiritism represented a transformative force in the Lleida region during the 19th century, challenging religious conservatism and the social conventions of the era. Driven by figures like Josep Amigó and Amalia Domingo Soler, this movement promoted gender equality and freedom of conscience in a context marked by repression.
The spiritist doctrine, emerging in the mid-19th century under the influence of Allan Kardec, proclaimed equality between men and women, allowing anyone to act as a medium and develop spiritually. This vision empowered women and questioned traditional gender restrictions.
The publication La Luz del Porvenir, founded in 1879 by Amalia Domingo Soler, served as a key platform for feminist reflection, featuring contributions from prominent female thinkers who advocated for equal rights. In Lleida, women such as Àurea Amigó, Violeta, and Carme Piferrer expressed pioneering ideas in the magazine El Buen Sentido.
The first documented reference to spiritism in the province dates back to February 1873 in Alcarràs. Soon after, the Cercle Cristià Espiritista de Lleida was founded, counting among its members personalities like Domènec de Miguel Cors and Josep Amigó Pellicer. This doctrine rejected rituals and priestly mediation, clashing with the Catholic Church.
In 1882, the exhumation of the corpse of Teresa Folch, wife of Josep Amigó, by order of the Bishop of Lleida, caused outrage and spurred the proliferation of civil burials, turning cemeteries into arenas for the struggle for freedom of conscience.
Despite repression from the Church and authorities, which included suspensions of publications like El Buen Sentido and convictions of leaders such as Josep Amigó, the movement gained followers through internal solidarity.
Rationalist spiritism advocated for free thought, reason, secularism, and social and gender equality, believing in the progressive evolution of spirits through successive reincarnations, a concept known as spiritual palingenesis. Its motto was: 'Towards God through love and science'.
Conversely, the Germandat Evangèlica Espiritista, founded by Nicasi Unciti, represented a blend of radical evangelical Christianity, magnetism, and spiritism, featuring its own rites and strict behavioral norms, distinguishing it from the austere, rational spirituality of Kardecian spiritists.
From 1876 onwards, spiritism expanded across numerous towns in the province of Lleida, with centers established in Balaguer, Tàrrega, Alcarràs, among others. The city of Lleida itself hosted three active spiritist centers.
During the Second Spanish Republic, the movement experienced a resurgence, with civil burials reportedly surpassing religious ones in some villages. However, the advent of the Franco dictatorship led to a total ban and persecution of spiritists, though the doctrine began to re-emerge after Franco's death.
“"Although its impact has been forgotten and underestimated, its ideals endure as a brave call for reflection and progress."
