Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos y Ramirez is a Spanish enlightener and statesman, lawyer and economist, politician thinker and writer of political essays, poet and dramatist. He supported gradual reorganization of Spanish economy according to capitalistic principles; he fighted for studying natural sciences, upheld the idea of identity of the Spanish art. As a literary man, in his works Jovellanos laughed at nobility ignorance.
Background
Melchor de Jovellanos was born on the fifth of January in1744 at Gijón, Asturias, Spain. The date of his birth completely determinated his name. Because in Spain this day is the day of “Los Reyes Magos” (three Magi - Bible), whose names are Baltazar, Melchor and Gaspar. And the parents decided to name his son in honor to them. So, the name of Gaspar de Jovellanos in fact sounds like Baltazar Melchor Gaspar María de Jovellanos and Ramirez.
Baltasar Melchor Gaspar María de Jovellanos was born in one of the most educated families of Gijón. He was the tenth son of his parents, who were don Francisco Gregorio de Jovellanos, …. , a man “of tender and generous heart” and doña Francisca Apolinaria Jove Ramírez, a woman "of great beauty, virginity and mild character”. Among twelve children, that the family had, only eight reached the adult age: Benita (1733-1801), Juana Jacinta (1734-1772), Catalina (1738-1808), Alonso (1741-1765), Francisco de Paula (1743-1798), Josefa (1745-1807), Gregorio (1746- 1780) and Gaspar, died in 1811.
Education
In 1757 at the age of 13 years he moves to Oviedo in order to study philosophy. In this way, the young student starts to enjoy his scholarship eclesiástica. Although it was not very high, but it let him have some own money.
From Oviedo Gaspar goes to Ávila in 1759.
Politics
A substantial part of Jovellanos’ writings consist of judgements, criticisms and legal opinions solicited by the
Supreme Council of Castile. Jovellanos, a jurist and magistrate by profession, was well versed in both civil and
canon law. His many-sided personality favoured an enlightened monarchy, admired the French Constitution of
the Year II (1794), and sought constant contact with innovative legal thinking in England, Italy and France.
However, Jovellanos’ reputation as a man of letters is based on his many outstanding contributions to
Spanish language and literature. This magistrate wrote some of the finest poetry of his century. His multi-
faceted personality allowed him to cultivate a variety of writing styles. Some of Jovellanos’ most prominent
works are lyric poetry and satire. Yet, it is his literary work, published under the pseudonym ‘Jovino’, with its
elegant and natural prose style that sealed his place in the history of Spanish literature. It was Jovellanos’ broad
interests coupled with his facility for language that allowed him to transcend genre.
A political reformer, Jovellanos was closely linked with some of the principal movers behind the
reforms carried out under Carlos III. He belonged to the encyclopaedist circle of Pablo de Olavide, promoter of
the first modern university reform in Spain. He was a member of the Royal Council of Military Orders, a State
Councillor, and Minister of Grace and Justice under Carlos IV. During the War of Independence (1808–13) he
sat on the Supreme Central Junta and was declared ‘Padre de la Patria’ [Father of the country] by the Cortes of
Cádiz.
Jovellanos was a leader. He did not simply support but enthusiastically promoted progress. A keen
student of economics, founder and active member of the Madrid Economic Society of Friends of the Country,
and corresponding member of many other economic societies, he was an active promoter of trade, mining and
improved communication routes. One of his main works, the
Informe sobre el expediente de la Ley Agraria
[Report on the Agrarian law file], dealt with the political problems of land tenure. In it he supported the
agrarian reforms that the nation needed and presented an independent and informed opinion on the economic
doctrines of the century