Spain’s Trienio liberal
(1820-1823)
A Commemorative Exhibition
Voltaire Room, Taylorian Institution, Oxford
4 February – 3 March, 2020
(Organised in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary
of the Sub-Faculty of Spanish)
A mutiny over pay and conditions in January 1820 among troops awaiting embarkation at Cadiz to attempt to suppress independence movements in the Spanish colonies in South America led to three years of political turmoil and strife in Spain, with the re-promulgation of the Constitution of 1812 and the imposition of limits on the powers of Fernando VII. The “Trienio liberal” ended with the invasion of Spain in 1823 by French forces fighting to reinstate the absolute rule of the king. The contest between Fernando VII and constitutionalism, and the legitimacy of interventionism, raised interest throughout Europe.
The exhibition presents thirty contemporary printed and manuscript items relating to these events and issues, arranged in three categories: (1) the publication in the original or in translation of key primary political documents (mainly reprints of the 1812 Cadiz constitution [Case 1]); (2) texts and translations in various European languages of political analysis and propaganda (Cases 2 & 3); and (3) the French invasion of 1823 and its aftermath (Case 4). The “Trienio liberal” had an impact and influence well beyond the borders of Spain, and contemporary British analysts and commentators were well aware of the implications of these events for British interests.
The exhibition is open during normal Library hours to University card holders.
Organisers: David Hook (Faculty Research Fellow) and Joanne Ferrari (Subject Lead)
