Romanticism in Spain of the nineteenth century
The nineteenth century began throughout Europe with great changes after the French revolution of 1789. These changes left behind the old regime by passing to a new society divided into classes that replaced the old estates, within these new classes was the bourgeoisie that was gradually replacing the nobility reaching more power, this class later collided with anotherNew class, the proletariat, factor workers who will seek to defend their rights. This class arises from large industries that begin to settle in cities, these have a great demographic expansion in addition to very bad working conditions that are those that generate social problems.
Not only changes in the distribution of society during this century are produced, we also see an advance in governments. Thanks to liberal ideas, the parliamentary constitutional governments take force, thus governed by popular sovereignty and it is the people who have the power since he chooses who will represent them by universal suffrage. Despite the progress of the liberals, their friction with the absolutists do not end during this century. This is how in the second half of the century, the bourgeoisie seeks to maintain its privileges after the claims of the proletariat and support the reappearance of more authoritarian governments such as the case of Napoleon III in France or Queen Victoria in England. On the other hand, nationalism grows that increases a patriotic feeling in most peoples to defend their linguistic, cultural and historical peculiarities.
Literature could not be left behind with these changes, this is how at the beginning of the century a complex cultural movement is developed that supposes an aesthetic and ideological revolution, romanticism, this arises in Germany and England and some of its precursors were the English poetYoung and German Goethe, with his works Werther and Fausto. The changes named both politicians and social lead the romantics to protest and make their flag freedom. But this movement will not last throughout the century, by 1850 romanticism ends in almost all of Europe to give way to two new movements: realism and naturalism.
During the nineteenth century, Spain also suffers great changes but not at the same rate as other countries in Europe. Political tension, economic stagnation, military pronouncements and the lack of technical advances were some of the causes that caused stagnation in Spain at the beginning of the century although finally thanks to some advances in agriculture, industry and transportation, aa certain improvement.
Our country lived in 1808 the War of Independence against Napoleon Bonaparte, a few years later during this war, in 1812 the first liberal constitution was written in the Cortes of Cádiz. This was a great joy for the people but it lasted shortly since when Fernando VII returned after exile denied it and began an absolutist period in Spain until his death in 1833 although there was a liberal triennium between the years 1320 and 1823. This again supposed a delay again due to the exile of some intellectuals and the strong power of censorship.
During this century in Spain there were many more important events, at the death of the king there was a great uncertainty to know who would lead the country, a civil war began in which there were two sides, some that supported the reign of Isabel II, daughterby Fernando VII, and another who supported Carlos, brother of the king, these were known as Carlistas. This war was won by Isabel but lasted little on the throne because in 1868 a popular revolution dethroned it and a new constitution was proclaimed. After this revolt there was a brief reign of Amadeo I of Savoy for a few years of a great political-social crisis in which a Republic ends up proclaiming. Fortunately this stage closes with a restoration period carried out by Alfonso XII. The years passed and both liberals and conservatives were peacefully alternating power. In Spain, the colonial empire that ends up in its entirety at the end of the century after the loss of Cuba and the Philippines,.
Spain not only had a later advance in socio-political issues, also the romantic phenomenon was late and did not appear until the thirties. The roads that managed to introduce romanticism in Spain were journalism with articles that spoke of romanticism in Europe, the return of the liberal exiles who returned after the death of Fernando VII as Martínez de la Rosa or Espronceda and the premiere of the work of the Duke of the Dukeby Rivas Don Álvaro or the strength of the fate in 1835.
Although it seemed that Romanticism was doing very well in Spain, it did not last long since in 1849 the publication of the novel La Gaviota de Fernán Caballero marks the end of this romantic stage, still some prominent writers such as Bécquer and Rosalía de Castro continued to represent this movement this movementAnd they were known as post-romantic.
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