The Royal Academy of History with the support of the Rafael del Pino Foundation has organised the series of conferences "The year of Charles III at the Royal Academy of History" which will take place in May and June 2016 according to the following programme:
13 May 2016
Charles III, an enlightened king. Carmen Iglesias
17 May 2016
The King's ministers. Mr. José A. Escudero
20 May 2016
The foreign policy of Charles III. Miguel Ángel Ochoa
24 May 2016
The King's finances. Ms Carmen Sanz
27 May 2016
The America of Charles III. Carlos Martínez Shaw
31 May 2016
Science and scientific expeditions. Mr. Fco. Javier Puerto
3 June 2016
The military forces and their symbols. A naval flag for Spain. Mr. Hugo O'Donnell y Duque de Estrada
11 October 2016
The Town of Madrid. Court of Carlos III. Feliciano Barrios
14 October 2016
Charles III in Italy. Mr. Luis Ribot
18 October 2016
Culture and education in the reign of Carlos III. Luis Miguel Enciso
21 October 2016
The scenes of the enlightened king. The royal residences. Pedro Monleón
25 October 2016
The artistic training of a monarch: Charles, King of Naples. Jesús Urrea
28 October 2016
Royal manufactures in the reign of Charles III. José Manuel Cruz Valdovinos
2 November 2016
The great decorative projects of Charles III at Court. José Luis Díez
On 20 January 1716, the first son of Philip V and his second wife, Isabella Farnese, Prince Charles, was born in Madrid. We commemorate the third centenary of the birth of the man who would eventually become first King of Naples and, on the death of his half-brother Ferdinand VI, King of Spain and the Indies from 1759 to 1788. A reign of almost thirty years, considered one of the most fruitful in Spanish history, in which the reformist work of the Enlightenment reached its greatest peak and exemplarity throughout the Monarchy. Enlightenment and reformism were promoted by Charles III himself, who always managed to combine the simplicity of his personal tastes with the ceremonial nature of his royal dignity and the care of affairs of state with the protection of the arts and literature, and the promotion of manufacturing, the improvement of the country and political and economic measures that fostered improvement and welfare for all social sectors. Ministers and enlightened men of different origins, such as Esquilache, Campomanes, Aranda, Floridablanca, Jovellanos and others, were able to develop their reform projects to reinforce and consolidate a path of modernisation of the country which, later, the Napoleonic invasion and the vicissitudes of the first half of the 19th century would unfortunately set back, but not annul.
The series of lectures, which will take place in two stages of seven lectures each, during the months of May, June and October 2016, covers practically all aspects of the Enlightenment King and the reforming works in various fields, through some of the best specialists in 18th century studies, with the aim of deepening our knowledge of one of the most unique and hopeful periods in the history of Spain.
