Biography of Serrano y Domínguez, Francisco - Archontology
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Serrano y Domínguez, Francisco

Francisco Serrano y Domínguez

b. 17 Dec 1810, San Fernando (Isla de León), near Cádiz
d. 26 Nov 1885, Madrid

Title: Presidente del Gobierno Provisional (President of the Provisional Government)
Term: 8 Oct 1868 - 25 Feb 1869
Chronology: 3 Oct 1868, entrusted with the task of forming a provisional ministry, decree of the Junta Provisional Revolucionaria de Madrid (Revolutionary Provisional Junta of Madrid) [1]
4 Oct 1868, upon entering Madrid (evening 3 Oct 1868), Serrano announced his consent to form a government, letter of 4 Oct 1868 [1]
8 Oct 1868, entered into exercising the functions of President of the Provisional Government with signing a decree on appointment of the Provisional Government (dated 8 Oct 1868) [2]
22 Feb 1869, collective resignation of the Provisional Government (dated 22 Feb 1869) communicated to the Cortes Constituyentes, session of the Cortes, Palacio de las Cortes, Madrid; resignation is acknowledged, the ministry continues in office [3][4]
Title: Presidente del Poder Ejecutivo por la Voluntad de las Cortes Soberanas (President of the Executive Power by the Will of the Sovereign Cortes)
Term: 25 Feb 1869 - 18 Jun 1869
Chronology: 22 Feb 1869, entrusted with the task of forming a government, resolution of the Cortes Constituyentes, session of the Cortes, Palacio de las Cortes, Madrid [3][5]
25 Feb 1869, entered into exercising the functions of President of the Executive Power with signing a number of decrees on appointment of members of the Executive Power [6][7]
6 Jun 1869, took the oath to maintain the Constitution of 1869, session of the Cortes, Palacio de las Cortes, Madrid [8]
Title: Regente del Reino por la Voluntad de las Cortes Soberanas (Regent of the Kingdom by the Will of the Sovereign Cortes)
Term: 18 Jun 1869 - 2 Jan 1871
Chronology: 16 Jun 1869, appointed (and immediately proclaimed), Art. 1 of the law passed by the Cortes on 16 Jun 1869, session of the Cortes, Palacio de las Cortes, Madrid [9][10]
18 Jun 1869, took the oath of office, session of the Cortes, Palacio de las Cortes, Madrid [11]
2 Jan 1871, submitted his resignation in address to the Cortes minutes before swearing-in of King Amadeo I, session of the Cortes, Palacio de las Cortes, Madrid; resignation acknowledged by the Cortes [12]
Title: Presidente del Poder Ejecutivo de la República (President of the Executive Power of the Republic)
Term: 3 Jan 1874 - 30 Dec 1874
Chronology: 3 Jan 1874, accepted the invitation to assume the office of President of the Executive Power of the Republic, informal meeting of political leaders called following a military coup, office of the Presidencia de las Cortes, Palacio de las Cortes, Madrid [13]
30 Dec 1874, implicitly expressed his decision to cease the exercise of duties in a telegram sent from army headquarters in the north of Spain where Serrano had taken personal command of the armies fighting the Carlist insurrection [14]
Names/titles: Styled conde de San Antonio [iure uxoris; from 9 Feb 1858 when it was inherited by his spouse]; duque de la Torre [from 24 Nov 1862]
Presidente del Consejo de Ministros (frequently appears in documents as combined office of Presidente del Gobierno Provisional y del Consejo de Ministros) [8 Oct 1868 - 25 Feb 1869]
Biography:

Son of Francisco Serrano y Cuenca, Spanish military officer who attained the rank of mariscal de campo; educated at Seminario de Nobles at Vergara; joined a cavalry regiment as cadet (1822); promoted to alférez (1823); was transferred to coast-guard regiment as second lieutenant (1830); joined a cuirassier regiment in Madrid (1833); distinguished himself during the First Carlist War (1833-1840); promoted to colonel (1838) and shortly after to brigadier (1839); elected to the Cortes, where he represented Málaga and Jaén (1839-1844); promoted to mariscal de campo (1840), lieutenant general (1843); vice president of the Congreso de los Diputados (30 Apr 1843 - 26 May 1843); appointed minister of war (9 May 1843 - 19 May 1843) in the government removed by the Regent Baldomero Espartero; conspired with Juan Prim y Prats and Luís González Bravo López de Arjona to overthrow the regency of Espartero (1843); principal creator of the Provisional Government (28 Jun 1843 - 10 Nov 1843), in which he temporarily exercised all ministerial duties until 23 Jul 1843; continued to serve as minister of war (23 Jul 1843 - 1 Dec 1843); appointed senator for life (15 Aug 1845); became a favorite of Queen Isabel II and obtained enormous influence over her, provoking a political scandal; served as captain general of Granada (8 Oct 1847 - 7 Aug 1848); traveled to Russia to study military organization; took part in many military pronunciamientos; supported revolutionary movement and was stripped of ranks and honors (14 Jul 1854), but restored to all dignities (24 Jul 1854) after the victory of the revolution; elected to the Cortes (1854-1856) as a deputy for Jaén; contributed to creation of the Unión Liberal; appointed as head of the General Department of Artillery (1856); captain general of Castilla la Nueva (4 Jun 1856 - 7 Aug 1856); promoted to captain general of the army (18 Jul 1856); served as Spanish Ambassador in Paris (1856-1857); returned to Madrid to serve as director general of the artillery (5 Jul 1858 - 2 May 1860); appointed (20 Sep 1859) to Cuba as Governor and Captain General (served 24 Nov 1859 - 10 Dec 1862), where directed the annexation of Santo Domingo (now Dominican Republic); on his return to Spain, he was created duke (24 Nov 1862); briefly served as minister of state (17 Jan 1863 - 2 Mar 1863); captain general of Castilla la Nueva (21 Jun 1865 - 26 Dec 1865); appointed President of the Senado (12 Dec 1865 - 11 Jul 1866); was imprisoned (1866) for his protest against illegal dissolution of the Cortes; exiled to the Canary islands (1868); landed at Cádiz (19 Sep 1868) and defeated a loyalist force at Alcolea (27 Sep 1868); recognized as commander-in-chief of the Spanish army by decree of the Junta Provisional Revolucionaria de Madrid (3 Oct 1868); upon entering Madrid (evening 3 Oct 1868), formed a ministry where he assumed the office of President of the Provisional Government (8 Oct 1868 - 25 Feb 1869) and Council of Ministers (8 Oct 1868 - 25 Feb 1869); issued a decree (6 Dec 1868) for convocation of the Cortes Constituyentes (Constituent Cortes); was elected by the constituencies of Madrid and Jaén to the Constituent Cortes which convened on 11 Feb 1869; entrusted by the Constituent Cortes (22 Feb 1869) to form a new government and entered the office of President of the Executive Power (25 Feb 1869 - 18 Jun 1869); following the promulgation of the Constitution of the Spanish Monarchy (6 Jun 1869), was named Regent of the Kingdom (18 Jun 1869 - 2 Jan 1871); served as President of the Council of Ministers (4 Jan 1871 - 24 Jul 1871, 26 May 1872 - 13 Jun 1872) and war minister (4 Jan 1871 - 24 Jul 1871) under King Amadeo I; elected to the Cortes (1871-1872) as a deputy for Jaén; took the field as commander-in-chief against the Carlists (1872); after the proclamation of the republic (11 Feb 1873), retired to France, returning to Spain few months later; after the coup d'état of General Manuel Pavía y Rodríguez de Alburquerque, assumed the office of President of the Executive Power (3 Jan 1874 - 30 Dec 1874); left Madrid (9 Dec 1874) to assume command of the armies fighting Carlist insurrection, arriving at Logroño, a city in northern Spain (10 Dec 1874); when faced an attempt of restoration of the Borbon monarchy in Madrid and provinces (29 Dec 1874 - 31 Dec 1874), he chose not to interfere and communicated his decision to the government in Madrid (30 Dec 1874); after a short stay in France, returned to praise the restoration of King Alfonso XII; continued political career as senator (1877-1886) and a leader of the right centrists; was appointed ambassador to France (12 Nov 1883), but recalled to serve as President of the Senado (12 Dec 1883 - 31 Mar 1884). Biography source: [15]


[1] Gaceta de Madrid, lunes 5 de Octubre de 1868. Núm. 279.
[2] Gaceta de Madrid, viernes 9 de Octubre de 1868. Núm. 283.
[3] Gaceta de Madrid, martes 23 de Febrero de 1869. Núm. 54.
[4] Diario de sesiones de las Cortes Constituyentes, dieron principio el día 11 de febrero de 1869 (Madrid: Imprenta de J.A. García, 1870). Vol. 1. Número 10. P. 86.
[5] Diario de sesiones de las Cortes Constituyentes. Op. cit. P. 89.
[6] Gaceta de Madrid, sábado 27 de Febrero de 1869. Núm. 58.
[7] Despite the fact that he was entrusted to form the Poder Ejecutivo on 22 Feb 1869, Serrano continued in office as Presidente del Gobierno Provisional until 25 Feb 1869 when he began to exercise the functions of Presidente del Poder Ejecutivo with appointing ministers. The use of the title Presidente del Gobierno Provisional between 22 Feb 1869 and 25 Feb 1869 is documented in the debates of the Cortes. See Diario de sesiones de las Cortes Constituyentes, dieron principio el día 11 de febrero de 1869 (Madrid: Imprenta de J.A. García, 1870). Vol. 1. Número 12.
[8] Diario de sesiones de las Cortes Constituyentes, dieron principio el día 11 de febrero de 1869 (Madrid: Imprenta de J.A. García, 1870). Vol. 4. Número 92. P. 2565.
[9] Gaceta de Madrid, viernes 18 de Junio de 1869. Núm. 169.
[10] Diario de sesiones de las Cortes Constituyentes, dieron principio el día 11 de febrero de 1869 (Madrid: Imprenta de J.A. García, 1870). Vol. 4. Número 101. P. 2790.
[11] Diario de sesiones de las Cortes Constituyentes, dieron principio el día 11 de febrero de 1869 (Madrid: Imprenta de J.A. García, 1870). Vol. 4. Número 103. P. 2820.
[12] Diario de sesiones de las Cortes Constituyentes, dieron principio el día 11 de febrero de 1869 (Madrid: Imprenta de J.A. García, 1870). Vol. 14. Número 332. P. 9578.
[13] "Historia de España" (Barcelona: Ariel, 1964). 2nd. ed. Vol. VIII; "Historia de España en el siglo XIX", by Francisco Pi y Margall and Francisco Pi y Arsuaga (Barcelona, 1902).
[14] "De la Revolución a la Restauración", by Salvador Bermúdez de Castro y O'Lawlor, marqués de Lema (Madrid: Editorial Voluntad, 1927). Vol. II. PP. 767-769.
[15] Enciclopedia de Historia de España. Vol. IV. Diccionario biográfico. (Madrid: Alianza Editorial, 1991). PP. 791-792.
Image: photograph by Félix Nadar (1857).