Martin Antonenko
A Fixture
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2008
- Messages
- 9,001
The Hat Uprising of Madrid!
In the middle of the 18th century Spain is one of the most backward, perhaps the most backward, countries in Europe in every way!
The aristocratic landowners who defend their privileges tooth and nail and the mildew of strict Catholicism have hitherto managed to prevent even the smallest progress.
The Spanish King Carlos III.
... who considers himself "enlightened" in the sense of Rosseau and who is increasingly embarrassed at how Spain's backwardness (and thus himself) is mocked all over Europe, is looking for ways to modernize his society at least externally.
His First Minister (rey alcalde) Leopoldo de Gregorio, Marqués de Esquilache ...
... has an idea:
He's inventing a new dress code!
The Spaniards should from now on - with fines and prison sentences! - it is forbidden to wear their traditional wide-brimmed and round hats (sombrero redondo) and the no less traditional long coats (capa larga) ...:
Instead, the male people are to be compelled by law to dress according to "French fashion" in public in future, that is, to wear tricorns and short coats!
The Marqués de Esquilache even manages to convince the king that this new dress code also means more security:
Because under the long coats murderers and rascals could hide weapons, which is impossible with "French fashion".
Carlos III, so convinced, puts the new law into effect on March 10, 1766!
State minions (who of course wear the new fashions!) Are not too good to use scissors to remove the wide brims of the now banned old hats ...:
Men wearing the "old" clothes on the street, are immediately be seized and publicly judged ...:
The new law of clothing is now the drop that brings the barrel to overflow!
Because at the same time the Spaniards suffer from a massive shortage of bread, have to accept a significant deterioration in coins due to inferior metal and a new waste disposal regulation, which was also introduced by the Marqués de Esquilache:
So far, the Spaniards have disposed of their garbage in the traditional way - also in Madrid - they threw it out the window!
They have no other options, there was neither a garbage disposal nor any garbage storage areas!
The garbage was now also on the street - stank in the Spanish heat and spread all kinds of diseases.
Now the population - also with dungeon punishment! - forbidden to "dispose of" their rubbish as before. But new alternatives are not created either!
When the Spaniards complain about these - and other - only half-thought-out reforms, the minister mocks them and calls them "children who scream when their faces are washed".
(From which we learn that washing in Spain doesn't have to have been that far at any time ...)
The newly introduced dress code finally creates a target for the angry population, an outlet to vent their anger!
On March 23, 1766, the so-called "Hat Uprising" ("Motin de Madrid") broke out in Madrid!
The uprising is spreading extremely quickly from Madrid!
“Muera Esquilache!” (Die Esquilache!) and “Muera el mal gobierno!” (Death of the bad government) will soon be the motto across the country.
More than 50,000 people take part!
Carlos III flees to Aranjuez and leaves it to the Minister of War Pedro Pablo Abarca de Bolea, conde de Aranda ...
... to deal with the uprising.
But the troops ...
... cannot restore the authority of the state power - they are unreliable and express sympathy for the rebels in many places.
It is only thanks to two Jesuits, Padre Osma and Padre Cueva, that there are no dead.
The folowing painting that shows this scene is by Goya ...:
And as if by a secret order, everywhere in the country the "soldiers of Christ" (as the Jesiuits call themselves) prevent anyone from perishing!
However, there are plenty of injuries and considerable property damage!
The law of clothing is grudgingly cashed by the king and its originator, the rey alcalde Marqués de Esquilache, is assigned the role of the scapegoat:
He has to flee to Naples - and is later quietly resigned by the king to the post of Spanish ambassador in Venice.
Although he owes his salvation to the Jesuits, the king (certainly not entirely wrong!) cannot shake off the suspicion that they were the real instigators of the uprising!
And he takes revenge: in 1767 the Jesuit order is banned in Spain...
Carlos III also played a key role in the dissolution of the order by Pope Clement XIV in 1773...:
In the middle of the 18th century Spain is one of the most backward, perhaps the most backward, countries in Europe in every way!
The aristocratic landowners who defend their privileges tooth and nail and the mildew of strict Catholicism have hitherto managed to prevent even the smallest progress.
The Spanish King Carlos III.
... who considers himself "enlightened" in the sense of Rosseau and who is increasingly embarrassed at how Spain's backwardness (and thus himself) is mocked all over Europe, is looking for ways to modernize his society at least externally.
His First Minister (rey alcalde) Leopoldo de Gregorio, Marqués de Esquilache ...
... has an idea:
He's inventing a new dress code!
The Spaniards should from now on - with fines and prison sentences! - it is forbidden to wear their traditional wide-brimmed and round hats (sombrero redondo) and the no less traditional long coats (capa larga) ...:
Instead, the male people are to be compelled by law to dress according to "French fashion" in public in future, that is, to wear tricorns and short coats!
The Marqués de Esquilache even manages to convince the king that this new dress code also means more security:
Because under the long coats murderers and rascals could hide weapons, which is impossible with "French fashion".
Carlos III, so convinced, puts the new law into effect on March 10, 1766!
State minions (who of course wear the new fashions!) Are not too good to use scissors to remove the wide brims of the now banned old hats ...:
Men wearing the "old" clothes on the street, are immediately be seized and publicly judged ...:
The new law of clothing is now the drop that brings the barrel to overflow!
Because at the same time the Spaniards suffer from a massive shortage of bread, have to accept a significant deterioration in coins due to inferior metal and a new waste disposal regulation, which was also introduced by the Marqués de Esquilache:
So far, the Spaniards have disposed of their garbage in the traditional way - also in Madrid - they threw it out the window!
They have no other options, there was neither a garbage disposal nor any garbage storage areas!
The garbage was now also on the street - stank in the Spanish heat and spread all kinds of diseases.
Now the population - also with dungeon punishment! - forbidden to "dispose of" their rubbish as before. But new alternatives are not created either!
When the Spaniards complain about these - and other - only half-thought-out reforms, the minister mocks them and calls them "children who scream when their faces are washed".
(From which we learn that washing in Spain doesn't have to have been that far at any time ...)
The newly introduced dress code finally creates a target for the angry population, an outlet to vent their anger!
On March 23, 1766, the so-called "Hat Uprising" ("Motin de Madrid") broke out in Madrid!
The uprising is spreading extremely quickly from Madrid!
“Muera Esquilache!” (Die Esquilache!) and “Muera el mal gobierno!” (Death of the bad government) will soon be the motto across the country.
More than 50,000 people take part!
Carlos III flees to Aranjuez and leaves it to the Minister of War Pedro Pablo Abarca de Bolea, conde de Aranda ...
... to deal with the uprising.
But the troops ...
... cannot restore the authority of the state power - they are unreliable and express sympathy for the rebels in many places.
It is only thanks to two Jesuits, Padre Osma and Padre Cueva, that there are no dead.
The folowing painting that shows this scene is by Goya ...:
And as if by a secret order, everywhere in the country the "soldiers of Christ" (as the Jesiuits call themselves) prevent anyone from perishing!
However, there are plenty of injuries and considerable property damage!
The law of clothing is grudgingly cashed by the king and its originator, the rey alcalde Marqués de Esquilache, is assigned the role of the scapegoat:
He has to flee to Naples - and is later quietly resigned by the king to the post of Spanish ambassador in Venice.
Although he owes his salvation to the Jesuits, the king (certainly not entirely wrong!) cannot shake off the suspicion that they were the real instigators of the uprising!
And he takes revenge: in 1767 the Jesuit order is banned in Spain...
Carlos III also played a key role in the dissolution of the order by Pope Clement XIV in 1773...:
