Ferdinand VI

Lore & Background

Ferdinand was born at the Royal Alcázar of Madrid, the last of four sons from Philip V's first marriage. His mother died when he was five months old, and his father remarried Elisabeth Farnese, who had no affection for her stepsons. Ferdinand was melancholic, shy, and distrustful of his own abilities; his only pleasures were shooting and music, and he patronized the singer Farinelli. He married Infanta Barbara of Portugal in 1729; the couple had no children.

Upon his father's death in 1746, Ferdinand eliminated the influence of his stepmother and her Italian courtiers. His reign saw a steady policy of neutrality between France and Great Britain. Key figures included the Marquis of Ensenada, who proposed tax reforms and naval expansion, and José de Carvajal y Lancáster, who favored an alliance with Britain. In 1751, Ferdinand banned freemasonry following a papal condemnation. He also authorized a general imprisonment of the Roma in 1749, imprisoning 9,000.

Ferdinand's last years were marked by mental instability. After his wife Barbara's death in August 1758, he fell into a state of prostration, refusing to dress or wash. He died on 10 August 1759 and was succeeded by his younger half-brother, Charles III. The period from August 1758 to August 1759 is known as the year without a king.

Reader's Guide

Ferdinand VI's significance lies in his successful avoidance of major European conflicts during a period of tension between France and Great Britain, allowing Spain to focus on internal reforms. Under his reign, the Marquis of Ensenada advanced naval expansion, tax reform proposals, and efforts to liberalize trade with the Americas, though many reforms faced opposition. The Concord of 1753 with the Pope strengthened royal control over the clergy. However, his reign also included the harsh imprisonment of 9,000 Roma in 1749 and a ban on freemasonry. His mental decline in his final years, mirroring that of his father, created a power vacuum. Ferdinand's legacy is that of a cautious, reform-minded monarch whose neutrality preserved Spanish stability, but whose personal fragility and controversial policies complicate his historical image.

Did You Know?

• Ferdinand VI authorized the general imprisonment of 9,000 Roma in 1749.
• He banned freemasonry in Spain in 1751.
• He felt the 1755 Lisbon earthquake while at the Royal Monastery of El Escorial and ordered a nationwide survey of its effects.
• The composer Domenico Scarlatti wrote many of his 555 harpsichord sonatas at Ferdinand's court.