Lorenzo Arrazola y García

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Lorenzo Arrazola y García (August 10, 1795 – February 23, 1873) was a Spanish lawyer, politician and statesman who played a prominent role in 19th‑century Spain. Born in Checa, Guadalajara, he studied theology and philosophy in a seminary, learned Latin, and later left the seminary at age 28 to join the military. He then moved to Valladolid to study civil jurisprudence, became a professor and rector at the university, and spent a decade on the faculty at the Complutense University of Madrid.

Arrazola began his political career in 1835 with the Moderate Party. He was elected to the Congress of Deputies in 1837, serving until 1841, and in 1838 he became Minister of Grace and Justice. In 1848 Queen Isabella II named him senator-for-life in recognition of his work on a new Criminal Code. He also served as Attorney General in 1847 and as President of the Supreme Court from 1851 to 1853 and again from 1856 to 1864. Between 1864 and 1867 he held the roles of Minister of Justice and Minister of Interior, with brief stints as acting Foreign Minister in 1865 and 1866.

Arrazola is best known for his brief tenure as Prime Minister of Spain, from January 17 to March 1, 1864, during Isabella II’s reign. He was also a six‑term Minister of Justice and twice President of the Supreme Court, making significant contributions to Spain’s judiciary and legal system.

On the personal front, he married Ana Micaela Guerrera in 1829. Lorenzo Arrazola y García died in Madrid in 1873, remembered as a leading lawyer, politician and statesman who helped shape Spain’s legal and political landscape during a turbulent era.