Rafael Riego has long been associated with the success of the Spanish Revolution of 1820. In fact, his rebellion, which had been organized by liberals, failed. The Revolution of 1820 triumphed when the provincial cities restored the local government granted them by the Constitution of 1812. Thereafter Riego played a minor role in the politics of the second constitutional period (1820-1823). But he caught the imagination of the people and gained great popularity. He became the symbol of the revolution. In the end, he also became one of the martyrs of the Revolution of 1820. The restored absolutist government of Fernando VII executed Riego in 1823.
Although much has been written about Rafael Riego, he is still shrouded in myth. Alberto Gil Navales, whose earlier study Las sociedades patrióticas (1820-1823) did much to illuminate the period, has begun the task of understanding Riego the man. Navales has collected 250 letters, proclamations, and speeches by Rafael Riego, covering the period 1807-1823. The overwhelming majority of the documents are devoted to the period 1820-1823. They provide a much clearer and a much more attractive picture of Riego. He appears as an honest, well-meaning liberal who did not seek fame. On the contrary, he sought to escape his symbolic role. But his popularity was so great that he could not overcome it. The documents published by Novales provide important new data for understanding the period. They are a welcome addition to the growing literature on the Revolution of 1820.
