Madrid - Parliament Palacio de las Cortes

Must-see attractions nearby: Royal Palace Prado Museum Queen Sofia Art Centre Plaza Mayor Art Gallery Real Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales National Archeological Museum

Its origins date back to the popular assemblies of medieval Spain. The first modern Spanish Constitution was promulgated in 1812 by the Cortes, meeting in Cádiz. The country was then occupied by Napoleon's troops and the Spanish King, Ferdinand VII, was a prisoner in French hands. After his return Ferdinand abolished the Constitution and dissolved the Cortes, and thereafter, apart from a brief Constitutional interlude in 1820-23, reigned without a Constitution until his death in 1833.

In the course of the 19th C. Spain was governed under a series of different Constitutions, introduced in 1834, 1837, 1869, 1873 (the first Republican Constitution, which never came into force) and 1876. The 1876 Constitution was set aside by General Primo de Rivera's coup d'état in 1923 the fall of the Dictator brought the fall of the monarchy, and the Republic which was proclaimed in 1931 promulgated a modern Constitution, one of the most progressive of its day. The present Spanish Constitution, adopted and promulgated by the Cortes, bears the date October 31, 1978. The last elections to the two-chamber parliament (consisting of Senate and Congress) were held in 1989.