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Our exhibition on the “Action of Mengíbar” of 13 July 1808 between the French and Spanish troops, has a museography, a huge model, an interactive touch table, and an entertaining “digital conversation” of the Generals involved in the conflict that will help you to understand what happened that July.
Visit our museum and witness first-hand a military conversation between General Reding and General Dupont about the famous “Action of Mengíbar”.
…and what seemed to be a pact between a rogue Napoleon and Spain, simply to let his troops pass through to Portugal, became an attempt to colonise us, and that is when Mengíbar became the key to the failure of the Napoleonic troops!
Napoleon Bonaparte, the French emperor, made a pact with Spain to allow his troops to conquer Portugal.
But his aim was to invade Spain too! He got Charles IV and his son Ferdinand VII to renounce the throne, which would pass into the hands of his brother Joseph Bonaparte.
Another French detachment again pillaged Jaén, although on this occasion it was repulsed by the Spanish troops, so they decided to return to Bailén.
At the same time, General Castaños was drawing up the Plan de Porcuna.
Porcuna, whereby General Reding’s 1st Division was to expel the French from Mengíbar.
They advanced to Bailén and then reached Andújar, where the bulk of Dupont’s army was located.
In the early hours of 15 July, the French army decided to attack the Spanish positions across the Guadalquivir. Reding’s soldiers faced them without showing off their forces, so the French General Vedel abandoned the boat crossing, and made his way to Andújar.
General Reding, who had hidden most of his army in the area around Mengíbar, saw that he was far superior to the French detachment and decided to carry out the Porcuna Plan, planning the attack for the following day from the Casa Palacio.
As a result, on 2 May 1808, a popular uprising took place in Madrid, which was violently put down, thus beginning the War of Independence. French troops, commanded by General Dupont, entered Andalusia through Despeñaperros towards Cadiz, meeting strong resistance near Cordoba.
After sacking this town, they settled in Andújar, making some incursions into other towns such as Mengíbar and Jaén, in order to stock up on supplies.
That same night, in the early hours of the morning, the first advance guard of the Spanish army, under the command of Brigadier Venegas,
arrived at Mengíbar and launched into combat without giving the French any time to react.
Napoleon Bonaparte, the French emperor, made a pact with Spain to allow his troops to conquer Portugal.
But his aim was to invade Spain too! He got Charles IV and his son Ferdinand VII to renounce the throne, which would pass into the hands of his brother Joseph Bonaparte.
As a result, on 2 May 1808, a popular uprising took place in Madrid, which was violently put down, thus beginning the War of Independence. The French troops, commanded by General Dupont, entered Andalusia through Despeñaperros towards Cadiz, meeting strong resistance near Cordoba.
After sacking this city, they settled in Andújar, making some incursions into other towns such as Mengíbar and Jaén, to stock up on supplies.
Another French detachment again pillaged Jaén, although this time it was repulsed by the Spanish troops, so they decided to return to Bailén.
At the same time, General Castaños was drawing up the Porcuna Plan whereby General Reding’s 1st Division was to expel the French from Mengíbar.
They advanced to Bailén and then reached Andújar, where the bulk of Dupont’s army was located.
That same night, in the early hours of the morning, the first advance guard of the Spanish army, under the command of Brigadier Venegas, arrived at Mengíbar, launching itself into combat without giving the French any time to react.
In the early hours of 15 July, the French army decided to attack the Spanish positions across the Guadalquivir. Reding’s soldiers faced them without showing off their forces, so the French General Vedel abandoned the boat crossing, and made his way to Andújar.
General Reding, who had hidden most of his army in the area around Mengíbar, saw that he was far superior to the French detachment and decided to carry out the Porcuna Plan, planning the attack for the following day from the Casa Palacio.
In the early hours of 16 July, Brigadier Venegas marched to the ford of the Rincón, about 3 km east of Mengíbar, where a French cavalry picket was reporting.
At daybreak, the Spanish troops opened fire on the French at the boat crossing, while the main body of the Spanish army under General Reding crossed the Guadal Guadalquivir River.
General Reding crossed the Guadalquivir River at the ford of El Rincón.
General Reding had almost 10,000 soldiers at his disposal and they began to form up in front of the French, while awaiting the arrival of the artillery that was to pass the Guadalquivir boat. The French artillery opened fire, setting fire to the crops that had not yet been mown, and producing a mixture of fire, smoke and suffocating heat.
The Spanish cavalry charged, only to be repulsed by the French cuirassiers who pursued them into the ranks of the Spanish infantry. Spain, faced with the danger of seeing its ranks broken, had to open fire on horsemen from home and abroad, while the French infantry retreated until they reached the vicinity of Cerro de la Harina, where a new charge by the Spanish troops forced General Gobert to take the lead of the cuirassiers and launch a new and desperate charge in which he was mortally wounded.
After Gobert’s casualty, his deputy took command of the French, stabilising the positions in Las Heras de Bailén, without either side deciding to take the final step.
Once the battle was over due to the physical exhaustion of both sides, General Reding withdrew from the battlefield at 14:00 in the afternoon, returning to Mengíbar. According to the official reports, the total casualties of the Spanish army were 35 dead, 125 wounded, three bruised and 25 missing.
The Spanish troops rested in Mengíbar. The battle of Mengíbar showed that, contrary to what was thought, French armour was not impenetrable.
For this reason, General Reding exhibited the pierced armour in this palace, making the entire Spanish army pass through it to prove that the cuirassiers were not invincible, thus increasing the morale of the Spanish troops.
In recognition of their efforts. Eight years after these events
these events, on 18 April 1816, King Ferdinand VII awarded a cross of distinction to all the combatants who took part in the battle of Mengíbar, which undoubtedly contributed greatly to changing the course of our most recent history.
The first and second divisions under the command of General Reding arrived at Bailén and the following day, 19 July, defeated Dupont’s all-powerful army, which had left Andújar.
As you can see, the battle of Bailén would not have had the same outcome if the battle of Mengíbar had not taken place three days earlier.
The Spanish troops rested in Mengíbar. The battle of Mengíbar showed that, contrary to what was thought, French armour was not impenetrable.
For this reason, General Reding exhibited the pierced armour in this palace, making the entire Spanish army pass through it to prove that the cuirassiers were not invincible, thus increasing the morale of the Spanish troops.
The first and second divisions under the command of General Reding arrived at Bailén and the following day, 19 July, defeated Dupont’s all-powerful army, which had left Andújar.
As you can see, the battle of Bailén would not have had the same outcome if the battle of Mengíbar had not taken place three days earlier.
In recognition of their efforts. Eight years after these events, on 18 April 1816, King Ferdinand VII awarded a cross of distinction to all the combatants who took part in the battle of Mengíbar, which undoubtedly contributed greatly to changing the course of our most recent history.
Here you have a rigorous version of this important part of Spanish history, and it will serve as a preview of your visit to Mengíbar.
We are waiting for you!
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