(SEPHARDICA)

Josef Miguel de Ezquerro

Pamplona

1782

Real Cedula de S.M. y Señores del Consejo, por la qual se manda, que á los Individuos del Barrio, llamado de la Calle de la Ciudad de Palma, en el Reyno de Mallorca, no solo no se les impida habitar en qualquiera otro sitio de la Ciudad, o Isla, sino que se les favorezca y conceda toda proteccion, y que no se les insulte ni maltrate, baxo las penas que se expresan

The first royal decree to alleviate the conditions of the Marranos of the isle of Majorca. They were now permitted to reside in any location in the capital of Palma, or the Isle. Additionally, penalties were imposed on those who would refer to them as "Chuetas," a derisory term. "Chueta" would be the analogue to "Marrano," both having the meaning of pig, the first in Catalan (from "xua"), the second in Castilian. His Majesty King Don Carlos records that he was visited in 1773 by a deputation of Hebrew origin from the city of Palma, bemoaning their exclusion from all employment - at the same time, they listed their many contributions to society. Despite the fact that their ancestors accepted the Catholic faith in the year 1435, they were yet subjected to the derogatory term "Chueta," an allusion to their origins. The members of the deputation are identified as: Juan Bonin, Tomas Aguiló, Tomas Cortes, Francisco Forteza, Bernardo Aguiló, and Domingo Cortes (pp. 4-5). See B. Braunstein, The Chuetas of Majorca (1936), pp.125-26