Podcast Summary: Todo Concostrina

Episode: "Acontece que no es poco | Pasen y vean, vamos a despedazar a un hombre"
Host: Nieves Concostrina (with Carla)
Date: December 12, 2023

Overview

This episode centers on a chilling execution in Barcelona in 1492, used as a historical lens by Nieves Concostrina to reflect on the brutality of the death penalty, arbitrary royal justice, and the mechanisms of public spectacle. Through her signature wit and sharp historical commentary, Concostrina dissects the story of Joan de Cañamar ― a peasant who attempted to assassinate King Ferdinand II of Aragon and faced a frightful, public execution.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Death Penalty as Barbarism

• Opening Reflection: The show debuts with an unambiguous condemnation of the death penalty, highlighting its persistence in several countries despite its proven inefficacy.
  • Quote (Carla, 00:09): "La pena de muerte es un signo de barbarie más que de justicia."
• Nieves underscores that, statistically, regions retaining capital punishment tend to have higher crime rates.

2. The Uplifting Year of 1492 for the Catholic Monarchs

• The hosts recap the historic events of 1492 (fall of Granada, expulsion of Jews, Columbus's voyage) but emphasize the year did not end well for Ferdinand and Isabella—culminating in an assassination attempt.
  • Quote (Carla, 04:15): "1492 lo empezó esta pareja católica... pero no terminó muy bien."

3. The Assassination Attempt on King Ferdinand II

• Setting: Plaza del Rey, Barcelona, December 7, 1492.
• Incident: Joan de Cañamar, a 60-year-old peasant, attacked Ferdinand as the king mounted his horse—attempting to decapitate him. The monarch was saved by his thick golden collar.
  • Quote (Narrator, 04:45): "El espadazo iba al cuello... pero el rey llevaba puesto el collar de oro con el Toisón, el famoso collar del Toisón de Oro... ese collar paró el golpe."
• The king survived with a broken clavicle and heavy bleeding; Joan was immediately apprehended.

4. Who Was Joan de Cañamar? Motives and Background

• Profile: A former payés de remensa (peasant serf), embittered by royal betrayal and mentally unwell.
• Motivation: During torture, Joan claimed the Holy Spirit had told him to kill the king and rule in his place for "the common good of Catalonia."
  • Quote (Narrator, 05:51): "Dijo que quiso matar al rey Fernando porque tuvo una revelación del Espíritu Santo... mata al rey y ponte tú a reinar en su lugar para instaurar el bien común en el Principado de Cataluña."
• Historical context: The "remensa" system forced peasants to pay for their freedom from feudal lords; Joan's resentment stemmed from long-standing betrayal by the monarchy.

5. Justice and the Execution’s Rationale

• Mental Health Ignored: The king initially asked that Joan not be killed due to his evident madness. The Royal Council, however, saw the attack as a grave case of 'lesa majestad' (treason) and ordered an extravagant execution to deter others.
  • Quote (Narrator, 10:20): "El Consejo Real concluyó que lo que había hecho era un acto gravísimo de lesa majestad y condenó al payés a la pena de descuartizamiento."
• Public executions served as mass warning spectacles and grim entertainment.

6. The Grotesque Execution: A “Performance Gore”

• Execution Itinerary: Joan was paraded, nearly lifeless, through Barcelona atop a cart for a series of brutal mutilations, each staged at significant locations.
  • Starting point: Plaza del Rey—hand and forearm, then continued stops along the Corpus route.
  • Staged Mutilations: Loss of a hand, eye, further limbs; at each stop, a new atrocity.
    • Quote (Narrator, 11:10): "La fiesta empezó subiendo a un carromato al pobre Joan de Cañamar... lo desnudaron y lo ataron... y ahí empezó el paseo por Barcelona. La gente corría al lado, gritaba, insultaba."
• Crowd’s Role: Largely participatory and enthusiastic, reflecting what Voltaire scornfully called the “imbecilic masses.”
  • Quote (Narrator, 11:35): "Voltaire... decía: La masa plebeya, la verdad es que es lo peor, se mantiene en un estado de imbecilidad permanente."
• Finale: Lapidation, cranial destruction and heart removal, followed by immolation on the cart.
  • Quote (Narrator, 13:20): "Le abrió la cabeza, le sacó los sesos... le abrió la espalda y le sacó el corazón... lo último, prenderle fuego al carromato y ahí ardió Joan de Cañamars mientras Cristóbal Colón estaba descubriendo América."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the spectacle of execution:
  • "Lo que se buscaba con este tipo de ejecuciones era avisar a la población, mostrar lo que le ocurría a quien atentara contra el rey." (Narrator, 10:39)
• On the passivity and complicity of crowds:
  • "¿Cómo es posible que te pongas a gritar a un hombre así? Bueno, me acusarán de presentista." (Narrator, 11:26)
• On royal betrayals and trust in power:
  • "No te fíes de un rey nunca. Los payeses se quedaron efectivamente tirados." (Narrator, 09:09)
• Irony:
  • The coinciding of this execution with Columbus’s voyage, “civilizing” America, deepens Nieves’s satirical tone.

Important Timestamps

• 00:09 – 01:00 — Opening: context on the death penalty and tribute to today’s gruesome historical event.
• 04:15 – 05:45 — Details of the assassination attempt on King Ferdinand II.
• 05:51 – 08:19 — Profile and motive of Joan de Cañamar, background on the payeses de remensa.
• 11:04 – 14:14 — Step-by-step account of the itinerant execution and public reaction.
• 13:20 — Final acts: cranial opening, removal of organs, burning of body.

Concostrina’s Style & Tone

Throughout, the tone is satirical, incisively critical, and colored with dark humor and irony. The hosts punctuate grim subject matter with modern references, music, and pointed remarks about human nature, justice, and spectacle.

Conclusion

This episode serves as a stark, historical reminder of both royal cruelty and the dangers of mob mentality, all delivered with Nieves Concostrina’s characteristic bite. It’s a rich commentary on the futility and horror of state violence—then and now.