Witches' Sabbath (The Great He-Goat) There is no record of Goya's thoughts during this period. He completed the series during a period recuperating from illness, possibly lead poisoning, when he was in considerable mental and physical pain, and withdrew from public life. "Witches' Sabbath" is believed to be a rather bitter, but silent, protest against the royalists and clergy who had retaken control of Spain after the Peninsular War of 1807–14. Advocates of the Enlightenment had sought to redistribute land to the peasants, to educate women, publish a vernacular Bible and, by replacing superstition with reason, put an end to the Inquisition. Witch hunting, seen
Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba Cathedral by Msgr. Carlos Amigo Vallejo where the Royal Family were represented by the Infanta Elena. Cayetana's patriline is the line from which she is descended via her father's direct male lineage, father to son. Patrilineal descent is the principle behind membership in Ducal Houses, as it can be traced back through the generations – which means that Cayetana's "historically accurate" House name is FitzJames-Stuart. Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba María del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart y Silva, 18th Duchess of Alba, GE, OIC, OSH, DOA, OAX, OSG, OPC (28 March 1926 – 20 November 2014), was head