Following the example of the representatives of the central government in a poorly integrated outpost within the monarchy in the early 17th century, this article intends to show the extent to which two major political and military crises (the Catalan Uprising of 1640 – 1652 and the Spanish Succession wars and the Quadruple Alliance wars of 1702 – 1714/1720) played a fundamental role within the very advanced process of bringing the center closer and integrating the territory into the monarchy, by involving the valuable services of a reliable and faithful local elite, which found a way to demonstrate its fidelity in such critical moments. Furthermore, if one looks at the policy of the Bourbons in the 18th century, it is possible to raise a few questions about the future of these local actors in a state that was striving to create a truly devoted administration, independent from the old local oligarchies. The example of the Val d’€™Aran and beyond also unraveled the processes that the monarchy used to control and incorporate its border territories.