The distinguished editors of the Crónica
Fèlip Torres Amat (1772-1847) was the expert for languages, religion and history, and in charge of the translation. He taught philosophy, mathematics, and theology at Tarragona, and is known for his translation of the bible into "vulgar Castilian". In 1817, he transferred from Madrid to Barcelona, and as "canónigo sacrista y vicario general de Barcelona" chose Bofarull and Pujol as his collaborators. He is rated as a liberal theologian and was accused of Jansenism, a heretical movement during the Counter-Reformation which leaned towards Calvinism. His apologetic biography of his uncle by the same name, an open Jansenist, was put on the Index by the Vatican. After completing the translation of the Crónica, he retired to San Jeroni de la Murtra, which happens to be the monastery where Pierre de Marca had spent his summers 200 years earlier. In spite of his questionable faith he was ordained bishop of Astorga in 1834 and became known as an obispo reformador. He also wrote the "Memorias..." with his brother Ignatius, a Jesuit, as foundation for a critical dictionary of Catalan writers, which was published in 1836. (Here is one of his letters to Bofarull).
Pròsper de Bofarull (1777-1859) was president of the Academia de Bones Lletres de Barcelona (1823), director of the "Archives of the Crown of Aragon" (1814-1849), and like Pujades, an erudite historian with a law degree. He is described as a "moderate liberal and meticulous person", and he apparently profited from his work on the Crónica by writing Los Condes de Barcelona Vindicados, which was published in 1836 and introduces unknown information and corrects some historical errors.
Albert Pujol i Gurena (?) was an Augustinian monk, like Martin Luther, who left the order in 1622 for a secular life. He is probably the most fascinating personage of this liberal trio. He was lame (cojo) and "short in stature, but large in talents and literary activities", which is why his friends called him "Pujolito"(1). He taught theology and Spanish literature at the famous college Santa Ana in Barcelona, and wrote about how to educate the poor, sermons on morality, and important orations and eulogies. He was also a member of the Royal Academy of Natural Sciences in Barcelona and Arts, and of the Sociedad Economica de Amigos del Pais. In 1836, he became vice-president and rector of the restored University of Barcelona, where he taught law.
Although more research is in progress, it is already clear that this liberal team of editors was highly qualified, because each scholar had a distinguished career before and after the publication of the Crónica. They were apparently favored by the liberal policies in Madrid that were later eliminated by the Carlistas.
1. Cayetano Barraquer y Roviralta, Las Casas de Religiosos en Cataluña, Tomo II, (Barcelona, 1906), PP. 199-204.
