The Politics of State-Sponsored Culture in Nineteenth-Century Spain, 1833-1914

Nineteenth-century Spain is an era characterized by its almost constant state of political upheaval. Spanning from the era of the First Carlist War to the beginning of the First World War, this thesis uncovers the influential trends, continuities and advancements in official state-sponsored cultural initiatives in nineteenth-century Spain. By viewing culture through the lens of the labyrinth of nineteenth-century Spanish politics, this thesis is able to explore various themes such as nationalism, the role of empire, cultural identity, 'Spanishness' and cultural patrimony, amongst others. Challenging the notion of the 'lost' nineteenth century by traditional scholars and critics alike, this thesis shows how the politics and products of state-sponsored culture of the nineteenth century had an enduring impact on the cultural landscape of modern Spain. This thesis is one of the first studies of its kind in the English language and is largely based off of primary material from a Spanish archive that remains underutilised by researchers- the Archivo General de la Administración.