march 1808

18th and 19th

The Mutiny of Aranjuez: destitution of Godoy, forced abdication of Charles IV and Fernando VII placed on the throne.

april 1808

10th to the 25th

Fernando VII and Charles IV leave Ma-drid for Bayonne (France) accompa-nied by their respective courts.

may 1808

2nd

The people of Madrid rebel against the French. By the 22nd of May, the upri-sing has spread throughout the whole of Spain.

3rd

The French army suppresses the Madrid uprising. Firing squads conduct executions at the Moncloa.

28th and 29th The people of Cadiz rebel, demanding a declaration of war and the surren-der of the French squadron anchored in the bay since the Battle of Trafalgar. Assassination of Francisco de Solano, governor of Cadiz, replaced by Tomás de Morla.

31st

Cadiz declares war on Napo-leon.

june 1808

6th

Napoleon issues a Decree re-nouncing the Spanish crown in favour of his brother, Jose-ph, King of Naples.

9th

In Cadiz, Tomás de Morla or-ders an attack on the French squadron.

20th

Publication of the Bayonne Constitution.

july 1808

7th

In Bayonne, Joseph Bonapar-te swears to uphold the Cons-titution.

19th

Battle of Bailen (Jaen).

20th

Joseph Bonaparte enters Ma-drid.

25th

Joseph proclaimed King of Spain, as José I.

september 1808

25th The Supreme Central and Go-verning Council of the King-dom is established in Aran-juez.

december 1808

1st and 2nd

The Supreme Central Council abandons Aranjuez.

17th and 18th

The Supreme Central Council relocates to Seville and the session opens.

january 1809

9th

Alliance and treaty with England to fight against Napoleon.

22nd

The Supreme Central Council issues a Decree recognising the American territories as an integral part of the kingdom and summoning their represen-tatives to form part of the Council.

april 1809

18th The Supreme Central Council issues a Decree announcing the restoration of the Spanish Parliament.

may 1809

22nd

A Decree is issued by which the commission responsible for organising the Spanish Par-liament is empowered to de-cide on representation of the American territories.

october 1809

28th

It is agreed to convene the Spanish Parliament on the 1st of January, 1810 and to open the session on the 1st of March.

november 1809

4thA Decree is issued convening the Spanish Parliament.

january 1810

13th

The Supreme Central Council issues a Decree announcing its removal to the Island of León (San Fernando, Cadiz).

20th and 21st

The French army crosses the Sierra Morena.

24th

The Supreme Central Council leaves Seville.

27th

The Supreme Central Council is established on the Island of León.

29th

The new Cadiz Council is for-med.

31st

Dissolution of the Supreme Central Council. Power is han-ded over to the Council of Re-gency.

february 1810

1st

Marshal Victor enters Seville.

4th

The Duke of Albuquerque’s army enters the Island of León.

5th

Marshal Victor’s army rea-ches the Bay of Cadiz.

6th

The French demand the su-rrender of Cadiz. The siege of the Island of León and Cadiz begins.

may 1810

17th

The Council of Regency issues an Order on free commerce between ports in the Indies and overseas colonies and European nations.

29th

The Council of Regency mo-ves to Cadiz, taking up resi-dence in the Customs buil-ding.

june 1810

18th

The Council of Regency issues a Decree convening the Spa-nish Parliament: “the corres-ponding necessary elections shall be held, the representa-tives shall assemble on the Isle of León in August and the ses-sion shall commence”.

september 1810

22nd

The Council of Regency leaves Cadiz for the Island of León (San Fernando).

24th

The Council of Regency as-sembles the representatives at the Island of León Town

hall. The representatives are sworn in at the Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The Spanish Parliamentary session opens in the Teatro de Comedias and a proclamation on National Sovereignty and the Division of Power is issued.

october 1810

28th

A new Regency is appointed.November 1810

10th

A Decree establishing freedom of the press is enacted.

december 1810

23rd

A commission is appointed to draw up a constitution.

february 1811

9th

Parliament issues a Declaration on American territory representation in the Spanish Parliament.

20th

The Spanish Parliamentary session at the Island of León closes, and removes to Cadiz.

24th

The Spanish Parliamentary session opens in the Chapel of San Felipe Neri (Cadiz).

13 José Bonaparte I, King of Spain and the Indies14 Caricature “The enigma of Napoleon Bonaparte’s ideas for Spain” 15 Napoleon’s fury (Anonymous, 1809)16 Joachim Murat (Antoine Jean Gros, 1812)17 Francisco Espoz y Mina (Francisco de Goya, 1828)18 Juan Martín Díaz, “The Undaunted”, (Francisco de Goya, 1814-15)19 The Duke of Wellington (Francisco de Goya, 1814)20 Fernando VII (Vicente López Portaña, 1814-15)21 Allegory of the alliances between Spain and England (Francisco de Torres, 1809)22 Spain and Portugal share the spoils of the French Imperial Eagle

1809

1 The Family of Charles IV (Francisco de Goya, 1800)2 Manul Godoy (Francisco de Goya, 1800)3 The Mutiny of Aranjuez4 Reception in Bayonne5 Abdications in Bayonne6 Fernando VII arriving at the Gate of Atocha7 The uprising of the 2nd of May8 Execution by firing squad at the Moncloa (Francisco de Goya, 1800)9 Francisco de Solano10 Joseph Bonaparte (Pascal Simon Gérard, 1808)11 The surrender of Bailen (José Casado del Alisal, 1864) 12 Bayonne Constitution

1808

24 Swearing in the Spanish Parliamentary representatives at the Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul on the Island of León, San Fernando (José María Casado del Alisal, 1863)25 The Spanish Parliament in the San Fernando Teatro Real, December 1810.26 Act 29-1-1810. The Creation of the Regency.27 Diego Muñoz-Torrero.28 Evaristo Pérez de Castro.29 Marshal Victor (Georges Rouges, 1835) 30 Map of the French positions, May 1810 (Federico Joly Höhr Foundation) 31 Decree no. 1 of the Spanish Parliament.32 Decree IX. Political freedom of the press.

1810

23 Uniforms of the Spanish, Portuguese and English corps which formed the Cadiz garrison in 1810:

23.a Distinguished Volunteers of Cadiz (Guacamayos)23.b Volunteers of Cadiz (Cananeos)23.c Distinguished Artillery of Cadiz23.d 88th Regiment of Foot, The Connaught Rangers23.e English Artillery23.f Volunteers of the Island of León23.g Distinguished Volunteers of Cadiz (Guacamayos)23.h Voluntary Artillery from outside the city 23.i Regular Battalion of the Canary Islands23.j Cadiz Grenadiers23.k Fernando VII Regiment of Patriots 23.l Queen’s Guard Infantry Regiment

23.m Canary Islands Grenadiers23.n Distinguished Volunteers of Cadiz (Guacamayos)23.o Tenerife Grenadiers23.p 87th Regiment, The Prince of Wales’s Own23.q 20th Portuguese Regiment23.r 79th Regiment, The Cameroon Highlanders23.s Defensive Line Regiment, Veterans for the Homeland23.t Royal Spanish Guard23.u Valencia Light Infantry Regiment, Albuquerque23.v Provincial Regiment of Guadix23.w Fernando VII Regiment of Dragoons23.x Regular battalion of the Canary Islands

march 1811

5th

Battle of Chiclana.

23rd

Bombardment of Cadiz with Villantroys mortars.

april 1811

22nd

The Spanish Parliament issues a Decree abolishing torture.

august 1811

6th

The Spanish Parliament issues a Decree abolishing manorialism.

25th

Debate begins on the text of the Cons-titution. The Commission continues its deliberations until the 15th of October, 1811.

december 1811

26th

The draft of the Constitution is read.Speech by Agustín de Argüelles.

january 1812

21st

A new Regency is appointed.

25th

Debate on the text of the Constitution concludes..

march 1812

18th The Constitution is signed by the representatives, ratifying two manuscript copies, one for the Spanish Parliament ar-chives and the other for the Regency.

19th The representatives and the Regency endorse the Consti-tution in the assembly hall of the Spanish Parliament. The Constitution is proclaimed to the people of Cadiz. One month later, on the 25th of April, the regular session of the Spanish Parliament is con-vened for the 1st of October, 1813.

june 1812

17th

The Spanish Parliament issues a Decree on requisition and confiscation, which now also applies to the Church.

july 1812

20th

Treaty with Russia: The Rus-sian Emperor recognises the Spanish Parliament at Cadiz and the Constitution.

august 1812

11th Promulgation of the first De-cree on offences of disloyalty, in particular as regards public employees. This would be followed, on the 8th of April, 1813, by the Decree on mili-tary disloyalty.

14th The Constitution is endorsed parish by parish, in accor-dance with the Decree of the 18th of March, 1812.

25th Following two and a half years of siege, the French abandon Cadiz.

september 1812

22nd

The Spanish Parliament names Wellington general in chief of the Spanish armies.

december 1812

24th

Cadiz pays tribute to Welling-ton.

february 1813

18th

18thThe Spanish Parliament issues a Decree on the reform of convents and monasteries.

22nd

A Decree is issued abolishing the Inquisition.

march 1813

8th

Inauguration of the new Re-gency: Don Pedro Agar, Don Gabriel Ciscar and the Arch-bishop of Toledo, Don Luis de Borbón.

9th

The Spanish Parliament de-clares that the Decree abo-lishing the Inquisition shall be read in the parishes, and that the conduct of those church authorities who have disobe-yed the rulings of the Spanish Parliament shall be examined.

may 1813

5th

The Regency orders the expul-sion of the Papal Nuncio from the country, for opposing the Spanish Parliament.

june 1813

6th

The Spanish Parliament issues a Decree on agriculture and cattle farming.

21st

Battle of Vitoria.

26th-27th

The French abandon Madrid.

august 1813

31st

Battle of San Marcial.

september 1813

20th

The General and Extraordi-nary sessions of the Spanish Parliament close.

26th

The Regular Spanish Parlia-ment is constituted, in accor-dance with the new funda-mental law of the Constitution.

october 1813

1st

Inauguration of the Regular Spanish Parliament in Cadiz.

13th

The Spanish Parliament and the Regency remove to the Island of León due to an es-calating outbreak of yellow fever in Cadiz, taking up resi-dence in the Convent of the Discalced Carmelites.

november 1813

29rd

The Spanish Parliament de-crees the suspension of its sessions on the Island of León

(San Fernando), in order to re-sume them in Madrid on the 15th of January, 1814.

december 1813

8th

Treaty of Valençay, between Napoleon and Fernando VII, whereby Napoleon recogni-ses Fernando and his succes-sors as legitimate Monarchs of Spain and the Indies.

19th

The Regency and the Spanish Parliament travel from the Is-land of León to Madrid, arri-ving in Madrid on the 5th of January, 1814. Parliamentary sessions begin on the 15th.

february 1814

2nd

Following receipt of the Regency’s report, the Spa-nish Parliament issues a De-cree whereby the king will not be recognised nor rendered obedience until he is sworn in by Parliament, in accordance with article 173 of the Consti-tution.

19th

Regular Parliamen-tary session closes.

march 1814

1st

Regular Parliamen-tary session recom-mences.

13th

Fernando VII leaves Valençay accompanied by the princes Don Carlos and Don Antonio.

april 1814

16th

The king enters Valencia and receives the Manifesto of the Persians.

may 1814

1st

Inauguration of the Spanish Parliament and removal on the following day to the Con-vent of the Calced Augusti-nians, Madrid.

4th

Fernando VII issues a Decree in Valencia revoking the work of the Spanish Parliament.

Night of the 10th to the 11thRepression and detention of the regents, ministers and re-presentatives. Dissolution of the Spanish Parliament.

13th

Fernando VII arrives in Madrid and starts governing as abso-lute monarch.

45 Copy of the London Gazette announcing that the Siege of Cadiz by Napoleonic troops has been lifted46 “The promulgation of the 1812 Constitution” (Salvador Viniegra, 1911-12) 47 Advance of the 3rd, 5th and 6th Divisions of Wellington’s army in the Battle of Salamanca48 Battle of Salamanca. Charge of Sir Edward Pakenham and his 3rd Division.49 First page of the manuscript of the Constitution of Cadiz50 Cover of a copy of the Constitution of Cadiz51 Pages showing the beginning of Section I of the Constitution of Cadiz

1812

33 Battle of Barrosa, Torre del Puerco34 Map of the Barrosa Campaign35 Bombardment of Cadiz from La Cabazuela36, 37 and 38 Villantroys mortars (Palace of Whitehall, London)39 José Mejía Lequerica40 Agustín de Argüelles41 Vicente Morales Duárez42 Count of Toreno43 Proceedings of the members of the Commission on the Constitution44 Proceedings of the Commission on the Constitution

1811

52 Battle of Vitoria53 The Passage of the Bidassoa (J. P. Beadle)54 Spanish caricature. Joseph Bonaparte and the French expelled from Spain, shown as an enraged bull55 Caricature. Defeat of Napoleon and Joseph Bonaparte in Spain56 Thematically decorated fans 57 Lottery ticket for the 3rd September, 1813, in Cadiz.

58 Receptacles for miniature copies of the Constitution59 Chateau of Valençay, residence of Fernando VII and some of his family during Napoleon’s occupation of Spain60 Fernando VII signing the Treaty of Valençay61 Cover of the Manifesto of the Persians62 Engraving satirising the 1812 Constitution63 Design of the name plaque hung in the “Plaza de la Cons- titución” (Constitution Square), now the Plaza de San Antonio (Museum of the Cadiz Parliament, Cadiz)64 Constitutional Hallelujah, approx. 1821

1814

1813