Charles III’s Reign: Enlightened Despotism and Public Works
Charles III (1759-1788), son of Philip V and half-brother of Ferdinand VI, served as King of Naples from 1735 to 1759 before becoming King of Spain. His reign was marked by the implementation of reforms characteristic of Enlightened Despotism:
- Concern for improving the economy of his kingdom and the welfare of his subjects.
- Desire to improve the organization and rationalization of the state.
- Acceptance of the king as an “ideal enlightened man”: intellectual, lover of the sciences and arts, and political reformist.
In the early years of his reign, Charles III was supported by Italian ministers (Grimaldi and the Marquis of Esquilache). Attempts to introduce reforms met with strong resistance, culminating in the Esquilache Mutiny in 1766. This was a popular revolt against food shortages, opposition to the presence of foreigners in the government, and the resistance of the privileged classes to the minister’s reform measures. Added to this was the promulgation of a decree banning the use of some traditional Spanish clothing, such as wide-brimmed hats and long coats. This revolt led to Esquilache’s downfall and a temporary halt to reforms.
Subsequently, reform policies adopted more moderate features, but with Spanish promoters: Campomanes, the Count of Aranda, and Floridablanca. Other important figures included Francisco Cabarrús, Pablo de Olavide, and Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos. Promoted reforms covered all areas:
- Religious Reforms. Regalism was accentuated during the reign of Charles III: Expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767, suppression of popular religious traditions (processions, pilgrimages, etc.), limiting the power of the Inquisition, and so on.
- Economic Reforms. Some measures aimed to increase tax collection: the creation of the National Lottery, the Banco de San Carlos (forerunner of the future Bank of Spain), etc. Others were directed at improving productive activities: free movement of grain and wine, and liberalization of trade with America (1778). Several proposals were made for land reform, but the law was never enacted.
The implemented measures included: the division of communal lands in Extremadura, the repopulation of the Sierra Morena, limitation of the privileges of the Mesta, and some irrigation works such as the Imperial Canal of Aragon and the Castilla Canal. The latter is an engineering work built in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, based on an old project that aimed to connect the interior plateau with the outside through an internal waterway across the Castilian Plain, with a view, among other things, to transport surplus grain and harness power and wealth that would otherwise be lost. The final design was signed in 1752 by Carlos Lemaur. Due to the scope of the work, poor economic management during construction by the state, wars, etc., the works extended for nearly a hundred years. The development of railways gradually diminished the canal’s importance, and it eventually ceased operations in 1959.
- Military Reforms. Conscription was established, and the structure of the army was reorganized, creating different branches (infantry, artillery, etc.).
- Social Reforms. Measures included regulating bullfighting, controlling marginalized groups such as Gypsies and vagrants, and supporting educational and scientific development with the creation of the Economic Societies of Friends of the Country.
- Institutional Reform. Charles III introduced elected officials in local government: Trustees and Members of the Commons.
Despite the breadth of reforms, Enlightened Despotism had important limitations. While the reforms sought to transform some structures of the Old Regime or change social structures, these changes were often paralyzed due to opposition from the privileged classes.