The «impious» Majorcan printing house and bookshop of Miguel Domingo (1810-1814)

Abstract

The arrival of the liberal printer and bookseller Miguel Domingo in Palma de Mallorca in 1810 implied the beginning of a conflict with the reactionary groups settled on the island. His bookshop turned out to be a powerful centre for spreading the new ideas that were circulating through Europe, as well as the Constitutional reforms promoted by the Cádiz Cortes. He accomplished this due to the writings he published and sold thanks to the new freedom of the press. All of this caused great annoyance in his enemies, who considered that establishment as a dangerous focus of infection for the souls of the citizens. They also were convinced they were witnessing a conspiracy against the Crown and the Church, in which Miguel Domingo played an important role in the Balearic capital. In the end he had to pay dearly for his behavior when, after the retreat of the French army, Fernando VII came back, and, with the Constitution abolished, the former laws were restored.