Enlightenment in Spain Enlightenment in Spain The ideas of the Age of Enlightenment (in Spanish, "Ilustración") came to Spain in the eighteenth century with the new Bourbon dynasty, following the death of the last , Charles II, in 1700. "Like the Spanish Enlightenment, the Spanish Bourbon monarchs were imbued with Spain's Catholic identity." The period of reform and 'enlightened despotism' under the Bourbons focused on centralizing and modernizing the Spanish government, and improvement of infrastructure, beginning with the rule of King Charles III and the work of his minister, José Moñino, count of Floridablanca. In the political and economic sphere, the crown implemented
House of Bourbon-Maine House of Bourbon-Maine The House of Bourbon-Maine was an illegitimate branch of the House of Bourbon, being thus part of the Capetian dynasty. It was founded in 1672 when Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine was legitimised by his father, King Louis XIV of France. Louis-Auguste, founder of the House of Bourbon-Maine, was the first-born illegitimate son of Louis XIV of France and his mistress, Madame de Montespan. Immediately after his birth in 1670, he was entrusted to the care of Madame Scarron, one of his mother's acquaintances, who brought him to a private house on the rue de Vaugirard,