Agurain’s municipal granary during the crisis of the Ancien Régime, 1765-1840

Abstract

The productivity of pre-industrial agriculture was low, and so was the level of inte- gration of grain markets. As a result, food crises were a common occurrence. Throughout the Hispanic Monarchy municipal public granaries were created to fight food shortages, assist producers, and maintain social peace. Their presence became particularly important after 1765: first because the 1765 grain trade liberalisation caused repeated food supply problems, and secondly because production became stagnant and numerous wars broke out in the final decades of the eighteenth century. The resulting economic and social turmoil lasted for decades and is conventionally known as the crisis of the Ancien Régime. In this article we analyse the effectiveness of Agurain’s municipal granary during that crisis. We also compare the quantity of wheat lent to farmers for sowing with local wheat production