Pau Claris (1586-1641) is known for having been president of the Generalitat (Catalan Government) at the beginning of the Reapers' War, the revolt against the armies of the Count-Duke of Olivares, and for having declared the Catalan Republic under the protection of France, thanks to an agreement with Cardinal Richelieu. His death has not yet been clarified, and John H. Elliot and Josep Sanabre believe he was poisoned with water. tofana, also known as water of Naples, a mixture of arsenic and herbs widely used in the 17th and 18th centuries and then difficult to detect. It seems that his secretary, Rafael Nogués, died with similar symptoms and at the same time. The court of Madrid had powerful reasons to eliminate him. Without him, it was thought plausible to reach an agreement, something that, however, did not occur.