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Jovellanos is the tragic hero of Spanish liberalism. He failed to stop the absolutist King Ferdinand VII (who later undid all his work), but his ideas became the blueprint for modern Spain: free markets, public education, and secular governance.

"Agriculture is the primary source of the wealth of nations, and the surest foundation of their prosperity." In summary: A man who believed reason could tame power. He lost the battles, but won the historical war. Today, he is the namesake of schools, foundations, and even a prestigious research center (the CSIC’s Jovellanos Institute).

When we think of the Enlightenment, names like Voltaire, Rousseau, and Locke usually come to mind. But Spain had its own brilliant reformer: (1744–1811).