Pedro José Pidal

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Official portrait of Pedro José Pidal by Dióscoro Puebla (1877). Congress of Deputies.^[1]

Don Pedro José Pidal y Carniado, 1st Marquis of Pidal (25 November 1799–28 December 1865) was a Spanish lawyer, writer, politician (alcalde,^{[2][nota 1]} deputy and senator) and academician who served important political offices in the reign of Isabella II of Spain, including those of Minister of Gobernación^[3] (Interior minister), Minister of State (1848-1849 and 1856-8),^[2] Minister of Justice^[4] and Speaker (presidente) of the Congress of Deputies^[4] (1844-7).^[2]

Biography[]

Pedro José Pidal y Carniado was born in Villaviciosa, Asturias. On finishing his Law studies, he moved to Madrid in 1822 and started working for a prestigious law firm^[2] and collaborated with the short-lived daily El Espectador (1821-3), founded by his fellow Asturian liberal, .^[5]

Before becoming increasingly involved in politics, he briefly (c. 1841) held the Chair of History of Government and Legislation in Spain at the Ateneo de Madrid.^[2] He became an academician of the Real Academia Española in 1844,^[2] of the Real Academia de la Historia in 1847, and director of this institution in 1852.^[2]

Pidal Plan[]

Among the many other reforms carried out by Pidal as Minister of the Interior, the so-called (1845) —the most important of a series of reforms in Spain's education system that would eventually lead to the so-called (1857), which would remain in effect until 1970^[6]—, implemented the first major overhaul of Spain's education system. Actually drawn up by his friend Antonio Gil y Zárate,^[2] the plan called for state-run institutos to be created in each provincial capital^[7] and among the many aspects the plan introduced were modifications to the syllabus, with the subjects of Spanish literature introduced at secondary level^[8] and geography and Spanish history introduced for both secondary and university students.^{[nota 2]}

The plan also created the first chair in International Law, a post first held, albeit briefly, by Lorenzo Arrazola y García, a former Minister of Justice, future Prime Minister of Spain and President of the Supreme Court.^[10]

Family[]

His son, Alejandro Pidal y Mon (1846–1913) would also become a deputy^[11] (as well as Speaker of Congress)^[12] and academician (also being appointed director of the Real Academia Española). His grandson, Pedro Pidal Bernaldo de Quirós (1870–1941) would likewise enter politics, becoming both deputy^[13] and senador.^[14]

Notes[]

References[]