To know the history of Spain is to learn of its feats, of the unity achieved with great effort in the face of Muslim invasions, and of various other events such as Napoleon’s invasion beginning in 1808, a date not forgotten for the disaster it brought. Then came Mendizábal’s confiscation of church lands, which compounded the devastation wrought by the French.

All of this is part of centuries of history under the Habsburg and later the Bourbon monarchies, when Spain was a powerful empire. Much of this history is displayed in numerous museums, including the current Royal Collections Gallery in Madrid, although it represents only a small part of the historical and artistic heritage of the Spanish monarchy. Many artistic marvels are also preserved in the National Heritage palaces linked to the monarchy, although many more works have disappeared due to wars and the plundering that quickly destroys what has taken decades and centuries to build. A recent work exposes the great looting caused by Napoleon’s troops and is aptly subtitled: “Chronicle of the Greatest Looting of Spanish Heritage” [1] .

The great looting by Napoleon’s troops

Spain was Napoleon’s bleeding wound and the beginning of his downfall. But it was also a paradise for his marshals, true professionals of plunder. The entry of Napoleon’s troops in 1808 did not bring the reforms proclaimed by the pro-French, but rather the theft of everything they found or destroyed, the author states in the prologue. He adds that from Seville they took almost a thousand paintings; in Burgos, they desecrated the tomb of El Cid as well as the Charterhouse of Miraflores, and also the Monastery of Las Huelgas; in León, the cathedral and, in San Isidoro, the paintings in the crypt considered the Sistine Chapel of Romanesque art; in Madrid, they looted the royal palaces; in Granada, they tried to destroy the Alhambra, and so on.

This is not simply about recalling a list of thefts or engaging in sterile lament, but about understanding the culture and wealth developed over centuries, and about caring for the heritage we have now, even though it has diminished considerably. At the hands of Napoleon and his generals, the palaces suffered the greatest plunder, pillage, and depredation in their history. Moreover, the spoils went to France or to the hands of Joseph Bonaparte, and although some pieces were recovered, most ended up in other hands as a result of the great looting.

Del Junco’s book includes documentation of the robberies at the Monastery of El Escorial, the Spanish Crown Jewels, the palaces of Buen Retiro, El Pardo and the Royal Palace in Madrid; the looting of Cordoba and Zaragoza; the robberies in Granada and the Alhambra; the plundering in Seville, and also in the important archive of Simancas.

Learn something from disasters

It is not the same to have general information about the plundering carried out by Napoleon’s troops as it is to verify, with precise data and detailed lists, the many works stolen in such a short time, many of which are lost or displayed today in so many museums around the world. The author dedicates many pages to the documented list of stolen and missing objects that have impoverished Spain’s heritage. The final chapter addresses the million-dollar question: Why are the works stolen by the Nazis in World War II returned, but not those stolen by the French during the Napoleonic invasion? It seems that time heals all wounds and does not restore justice to the plundered treasures.

Since we have not recovered many works of art or the splendor of many cathedrals and temples, palaces and lands, it is at least worth knowing the magnitude of the disaster, to learn something from history.

The author clarifies that this work is intended as a popular science book, avoiding lengthy details and circumstantial information, and focusing instead on the most significant lootings. He employs a simple, conversational style, similar to that used in lectures and presentations, to make the information accessible to a broad audience and raise awareness of certain aspects of our modern history. A selection of the consulted bibliography is included at the end.

He dedicates the book to those who have downplayed the extent of Napoleon’s plunder, writing ironically: “To all those who believe that the French brought us modernity and wanted to lift us out of our ignorance and backwardness.” He then summarizes the magnitude of the damage inflicted on Spain’s artistic heritage in three lamentable periods: the Napoleonic invasion, the devastating Mendizábal confiscations, and the tragic Civil War.

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[1]  Francisco García del Junco. Napoleon’s robberies in Spain. La esfera de los libros. 2026, 430 pp.