José Marchena Ruiz de Cueto facts for kids

José Marchena Ruiz de Cueto (born November 18, 1768 – died January 31, 1821), also known as Abate Marchena, was a Spanish writer. He was a very bright student at the University of Salamanca.

He was born in Utrera, Spain. José Marchena first joined the church and even taught for a while at a school in Vergara. However, he soon started to follow the ideas of French thinkers, known as philosophes. His new ways of thinking were quite different from the traditional ideas of his time. This caused some controversy among his friends and acquaintances.

Life in France

In 1792, his writings caught the attention of the Inquisition, which was a powerful religious court. To avoid trouble, Marchena escaped to Paris, France. There, he worked with other writers on French newspapers. He later helped start a movement for big changes in Bayonne. He then returned to Paris and showed his support for a political group called the Girondists. He even turned down offers from a powerful leader named Robespierre.

Marchena worked as an editor for several French newspapers until 1799. He was then asked to leave France. However, he soon found work with a general named Moreau. After Moreau faced difficulties in 1804, Marchena declared himself a supporter of Napoléon Bonaparte, becoming a "Bonapartist."

Return to Spain

In 1808, Marchena went back to Spain with Joachim Murat, who was Napoleon's brother-in-law. Marchena worked as Murat's private secretary. In the same year, he was briefly put in prison by the Inquisition. But he was quickly released by Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon's brother, who was then the King of Spain. Joseph Bonaparte made Marchena the editor of the official newspaper, the Gaceta.

In 1813, Marchena moved to Valencia and then back to France. To earn a living, he translated important books into Spanish. He translated works by famous thinkers like Montesquieu, Rousseau, Voltaire, and Volney.

Later Life and Legacy

When a new liberal government took power in Spain in 1820, Marchena was able to return. However, the new revolutionary leaders did not welcome him warmly. He passed away in Madrid in early 1821.

Most of his many writings were important for their time but did not last long. However, they are great examples of sharp and clear journalism. Marchena was also known for his excellent scholarship. For example, his book Fragmentum Petronii (published in 1800) tried to fill in missing parts of an ancient Roman text called Satyricon by Petronius.

Interestingly, Marchena is perhaps best remembered for his "Ode to Christ Crucified." This poem shows a deep and gentle religious feeling, which might seem surprising given his earlier controversial ideas.