Madrid en los artículos satíricos costumbristas de Modesto Lafuente

The city of Madrid in the first half of the 19th century is a chaotic place where the most important political, cultural, and economic events of the daily life take place. Life in the city grows and develops thanks to the thousands of people who hope to have a taste of the progress going on in the city, and have the opportunity to change their reality. Madrid will be the scenario of infinite changes that many writers want to capture in the growing periodicals of the time. Among these writers, Modesto Lafuente stands out, a ferocious critic of the daily social and political reality of the Spain at the time. Lafuente published the satirical newspaper Fray Gerundio (1837-1842), where he depictured the most satirical descriptions of the inhabitants of the city, including the irresponsible politician and the life of widows and orphans who survive in the streets. This article focuses in this particular author and his successful satirical newspaper and in the city of Madrid as scenario of his chronicles and social criticism.