Colonial Urbanism in the Age of the Enlightenment: The Spanish Bourbon Reforms in the River Plate

The book explores how the Spanish monarchy aimed to create a new capital city in a remote and forgotten area of the empire, leading to the rapid urban transformation of Buenos Aires from 1776 to 1810. This transformation increased the Crowns revenues and reduced contraband trade, but also generated an internal struggle for power between the Spanish loyalist and the local wealthier Creoles. The loss of control of Buenos Aires urban space foreshadowed Argentina's wars of independence.

Format: Hardback
Length: 266 pages
Publication date: 06 June 2023
Publisher: Anthem Press

This captivating book delves into the intriguing tale of how the monarchy embarked on a mission to establish a new capital city in a remote and seemingly forgotten corner of the empire. It also showcases the remarkable rise of the local Creole bourgeoisie, who swiftly assumed the role of urban developers and significantly elevated their economic standing by investing in and exerting control over the Buenos Aires property market. Within a relatively short span of time, from 1776 to 1810, the urban transformation of Buenos Aires played a pivotal role in boosting the Crown's revenues and significantly curtailing contraband trade. However, these urban changes also sparked a fierce internal power struggle between the Spanish loyalists and the wealthier Creoles, as they vied for control over the city's urban landscape. As this book reaches its conclusion, it becomes evident that for an empire like the Spanish, which was constructed upon a vast network of cities, the loss of control over Buenos Aires' urban space posed a grave threat to its power, serving as a foreshadowing of Argentina's wars of independence.

Weight: 538g
Dimension: 158 x 237 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781785279812