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D. GASPAR MELCHOR

DE JOVELLANOS

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Baltasar Melchor Gaspar María de Jovellanos was born in Gijón on the 5th January 1744, within one of the best known families in the town. There he studies latin grammar. At the age of 13 he moves to Oviedo to study Philosophy. Then, he would go to Avila in 1759.

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Casa Natal de Jovellanos

abierta como museo el 6 de

agosto de 1971

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• In 1761 he gets the certificate

in Canons by Osma University,

wich Gaspar himself would

make fun of, done to its

facility to grant certificates.

• In 1764, he joined a very

influential social group in San

Ildefonso School.

COLEGIO DE SAN ILDEFONSO

(Madrid)

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In 1767, Jovellanos is offered a post in Seville’s Court and he

accepts. He soon started to stand out in his job, due to his

original measures, such as his refusal to wear the typical wig or

to get the taxes wich were within his rights. He also tried to

abolish torture.

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In Seville, he meets Pablo

de Olavide, who had a

great influence on him,

and gets to know the most

important works written in

Europe about laws,

economy and philosophy.

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Jovellanos writes several

literary genres: poetry,

tragedy (“LA MUERTE DE

MUNUZA”) and drama (“EL

DELICUENTE HONRADO”),

very successful, even abroad.

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In 1778 he arrives in Madrid, where he works as a judge. He will be

president of the Economic Society in Madrid and an outstanding

member of the Royal Academy of History.

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In 1782, he returns to

Asturias and he works

in the reform of

university studies, coal

mining and the

improvement of

infrastructures in

Pajares and Gijón

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Back in Madrid he lives an

intense social life defending

the Enlightenment ideas. With

the law for the "Reforma

Agraria" he defends the

increase in the number of

owner peasants

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One of his best friends there is Goya, who

would paint two portraits of him.

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After the French Revolution in 1789 problems begin for

the Spanish Enlightened. In 1790, one of his friends,

Cabarrús is imprisoned and Jovellanos is devoted to

help him. Within such a complicated situation he was

forced to abandon Madrid,

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Once in Asturias again, he

tried to train mine engineers

and ship pilots. He wanted to

develop Asturias economy, so

he opens a high school: the

Real Instituto Asturiano

de Náutica y Mineralogía

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In 1797 Jovellanos is appointed ambassador of Russia. This could be an attempt to keep him far from Spain, since his advanced ideas were uncomfortable and annoying for that time.

Jovellanos turns the offer down, but he is appointed Minister of Grace and Justice. He tried to reduce the influence of Inquisition and he works in the new university studies

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However, his enemies increase and he is expelled in 1798, so he comes back to Asturias.

Jovellanos was an influencial, honest and wise man, and Godoy (the prime minister of Carlos IV) wanted to finish off with all the important Enlightened in Spain. That’s why in 1801 he was arrested and taken to prison in Mallorca.

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He was imprisoned in the Cartuja of Valldemossa and in the Bellver Castle: the castle will end up being his home; there he has a cook, a butler, a secretary and he could even have visits.

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During that time he doesn’t stop writing. His books are the “MEMORIA SOBRE EDUCACIÓN PÚBLICA”, “EPÍSTOLA A POSIDONIO” (a biographical) and the “MEMORIAS HISTÓRICO ARTÍSTICAS DE ARQUITECTURA” (he studies the Bellver castle).

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The Aranjuez riot takes Ferdinand VII to throne and after seven years in prison Jovellanos is set free.

At the start of the french invasion, José Bonaparte offers him a new post as a Minister, buy he refuses. However he accepts to fight against Napoleón in 1808.

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Back in Asturias in 1810, he feels miserable when he realizes that he has to wait in Galicia until the French are expelled from Gijón. Once in his city he notices the disastrous consequences of war and the ruins of his Institute, used by the French as a headquarters.

The French soldiers returns to Gijón and Jovellanos has to flee for his life. In 1811 he arrives in Puerto de Vega.

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There, Antonio Trelles Osorio puts him up, but he is seriously ill and he dies 28th November in 1811.He was buried in the cemetery wich he had promoted, but from 1978 on Jovellanos remains are in Los Remedios Chapel, close to his house.

Monumento funerario de Jovellanos en la

Capilla de Los Remedios.