The Agotes
The origins of the link between Nuevo Baztán and the Agotes
Did you know that the development of Nuevo Baztán may be linked to one of the most marginalised groups in the history of the Iberian Peninsula? This industrial enclave, which emerged in the 18th century, cannot be understood solely as an economic project, as its development was directly linked to the influx of people specialising in manual trades. In this context, the Agotes, a group that had lived in a state of social exclusion for centuries, played a significant role.
Their possible presence at the origins of Nuevo Baztán can be explained by their training in manual trades, a result of the limitations that had restricted their access to other means of livelihood, which would have allowed them to become part of a project that required precisely that type of labour.
A marginalised group in the history of northern Spain
The Agotes were a social group documented since the Middle Ages in the north of the Iberian Peninsula and south-west France, with a notable presence in Navarre, particularly in the Baztán Valley, where they settled in communities such as the Bozate district of Arizcun, the birthplace of Juan de Goyeneche, and a direct witness to the discrimination suffered by the Agotes as his neighbours, and one of the reasons cited for bringing them to the construction of the new complex, as this would save them from such mistreatment. Their existence has been documented since at least the 11th century, when they are mentioned in the Old Charter of Navarre, indicating that even then they were considered a distinct group.
During the Modern Age, between the 15th and 17th centuries, their marginalisation became established as a widespread social practice. The Agotes were subjected to severe discrimination based on beliefs that identified them as an impure or dangerous group. They came to be regarded as descendants of lepers or heretics, which, in a society deeply marked by fear of disease and religious purity, placed them outside the established social order.
The association with leprosy, one of the most feared and socially ostracised diseases of the time, fostered a fear of physical contact and justified their isolation. At the same time, their link to heresy implied a supposed deviation from the faith, which reinforced their rejection within communities where religion was the main factor binding society together. These beliefs led to mistrust, social rejection and constant separation from the rest of the population.
For several centuries, from the Middle Ages well into the 19th century, these ideas persisted in society, despite having no basis in reality, and served to justify and perpetuate their exclusion from the community.
As a result, numerous restrictions were imposed on them. They lived in segregated neighbourhoods, were not allowed to mix with the rest of the population, and had limited access to communal resources such as land, pastures or woodlands, which in practice prevented them from engaging in agriculture and livestock farming on an equal footing. Consequently, they were confined mainly to manual trades such as carpentry, stonemasonry, the manufacture of utensils or music. Furthermore, they suffered clear discrimination in the religious sphere, where they were required to occupy separate spaces and did not participate on an equal footing in religious rites. Even physical contact with them was avoided, reflecting the social fear that existed towards them.
The Agotes in the construction of Nuevo Baztán
Juan de Goyeneche developed Nuevo Baztán as an industrial complex that brought together various manufacturing activities, such as glassmaking, cloth production and tanning, as well as the construction of the town itself. To get this project off the ground, he needed a stable workforce specialised in manual trades, particularly in tasks such as carpentry, stonemasonry and bricklaying, which were essential both for building the settlement and for sustaining its productive activity.
To meet this need, he may have turned to the Baztán Valley, encouraging the relocation of inhabitants to the new settlement. Among them would have been the agotes, whose previous circumstances had led them towards these trades. As their access to agriculture, livestock farming and communal lands was restricted, they had specialised in manual labour that fitted directly with the needs of Nuevo Baztán. Their recruitment would therefore have been based on practical considerations, as they provided skilled labour in key sectors.
Furthermore, their lack of economic alternatives in their places of origin would facilitate their relocation and settlement in the new settlement, where they could secure steady employment. In this way, the possible arrival of the Agotes would meet the project’s needs, given the characteristics of a population already trained in the trades it required.
As things stand, there is no documentation to either confirm or deny that the Agotes ever reached Nuevo Baztán. No Agote first names or surnames appear in the parish registers, but this may well have been because they arrived under false names to avoid being identified. Be that as it may, we cannot currently confirm that Nuevo Baztán was founded by the Agotes, nor can we rule out that possibility.
Integration and an end to marginalisation
Despite the beliefs that for centuries justified their exclusion, the Agotes did not display any physical traits that clearly distinguished them from the rest of the population. Some theories circulating at the time pointed to supposed distinctive characteristics, such as fair skin, light-coloured eyes, and ears without lobes... but these claims lacked any scientific basis and were part of the prejudices that fuelled their stigmatisation.
From the 19th century onwards, their situation began to change due to several factors. On the one hand, the legal reforms introduced during that period abolished many of the laws that permitted their discrimination and established legal equality among citizens. On the other hand, the shift in social attitudes, influenced by Enlightenment ideas and advances in knowledge, gradually eroded the beliefs that associated them with impurity or disease. Furthermore, continued coexistence with the rest of the population and intermarriage between families meant that their identification as a distinct group lost its meaning over the generations.
After generations of marginalisation, their presence ceased to be perceived as something different, with the social barriers that had shaped their lives for centuries gradually disappearing, leaving their history as an example of exclusion sustained over time.
