Matonaires: From ground to rock. Women peasants of the villages of Montserrat

Abstract

This article is based on a historical-anthropological research of peasants’ life in the villages on the slopes of Montserrat (Marganell, the village of Sant Cristòfol a Castellbell i el Vilar and the raval del serrat de les Cametes, near Bruc). Specifically, analyses the relationship between peasantry and the sale of their products in the market of peasant women at the Montserrat monastery for more than five generations. Among the different products sold, besides fruits, vegetables and dry fruits, we emphasize the “mató” as a traditional product, patrimonialized and that gives the producers the name of “matonaires”. Through historical documentation and life histories of the protagonists, this article analyses the evolution of this market and its practices as a rural heritage.