The Spanish Bastille? Mariano José de Larra and the Death of the Inquisition

Abstract

This article explores the background to Mariano Jose de Larra’s ‘Día de Difuntos de 1836’ (‘All Souls’ Day, 1836’). In particular, it considers Larra’s mockery of the symbolic death of the Spanish Inquisition as a belated, timid gesture, a reminder of the troubled and meandering course of the Spanish Liberal Revolution. By examining the symbolic dimension of the Inquisition during the Spanish revolutionary cycle, but also post-revolutionary allusions to the Tribunal and its possible revival, we aim to enrich our understanding of Larra’s satire and its engagement with historical change.