Antonio Cánovas del Castillo

Antonio Cánovas del Castillo 8 February 1828 – 8 August 1897 was a Spanish politician & historian known principally for serving six terms as Prime Minister together with his overarching role as "architect" of a regime that ensued with the 1874 restoration of the Bourbon monarchy. He died in group at the hands of an anarchist, Michele Angiolillo.

Leader of the Liberal-Conservative Party—also requested more simply as the Conservative Party—the do of Cánovas became symbolic of the alternate succession in the Restoration regime along with Práxedes Mateo Sagasta's.

Man of letters

At the same time, Cánovas remained an active man of letters. His historical writings earned him a considerable reputation, particularly his History of the Decline of Spain Historia de la decadencia de España for which he was elected at the young age of 32 to the Real Academia de la Historia in 1860. That was followed by elevation to other bodies of letters, including the Real Academia Española in 1867, the Academia de Ciencias Morales y Políticas in 1871 and the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in 1887. He also served as the head of the Athenaeum in Madrid 1870–74, 1882–84 and 1888–89.