THE ROYAL SITES IN TIMES OF CHARLES III

Abstract

Charles III continued practicing the habit of traveling to the royal sites, which his parents took from the Austrias, but introduced changes, both in the regularity and duration of the stays, and in those who accompanied him, since he always moved with the group of his family. Neither births nor deaths varied its pace, but a political event did: the riots against Esquilache in 1766. Although the Regulations of 1749 and 1761 contemplated the royal journeys, the proportional part of the Royal Houses that had to be moved was left to the discretion of the chiefs and the needs of the monarch and his family. Also the government, the secretaries of the Office, and a part of the personnel of their offices, as well as the diplomatic representatives moved, since they celebrated ceremonial acts, like the presentation of credentials and treaties were signed. All of which increased the cost of the journeys and forced to address the problem of housing shortages, which generated a rental business. In short, the increase in spending and the same dysfunctionality of the seasonal courts raised critical voices in the absence of corrective measures.