The Vilafrancada was a Portuguese counter-revolutionary military coup led by Infante Miguel (later King Miguel I of Portugal) in 1823. It took place on May 27, 1823, and originated in Vila Franca de Xira, from which it takes its name. The movement aimed to restore absolute monarchy in Portugal, overthrowing the liberal government and the 1822 Constitution that had been established following the Liberal Revolution of 1820.
Background: After the Liberal Revolution of 1820, King John VI, who had been residing in Brazil, returned to Portugal and was forced to swear allegiance to the new liberal constitution. However, there was significant opposition to the liberal regime, particularly from the conservative aristocracy, the clergy, and members of the royal family, notably Queen Carlota Joaquina (King John VI's wife) and their younger son, Infante Miguel. These factions sought to restore the traditional absolutist rule.
The Coup: Infante Miguel, with the support of his mother and various absolutist military officers and elements, left Lisbon and rallied troops in Vila Franca de Xira, declaring his intention to restore "the true principles of the monarchy" and suppress the "Masonic and liberal" elements. The movement quickly gained support, and the liberal government, lacking broad public support and facing a fragmented military, was unable to effectively resist. Many liberal officials and military figures fled or surrendered.
Consequences: The Vilafrancada was successful in its immediate goals. King John VI, who initially tried to mediate, eventually yielded to the pressure. He suspended the 1822 Constitution and dissolved the Cortes (parliament). Although John VI attempted to govern as an absolute monarch but with a more moderate stance, the Vilafrancada marked a significant victory for the absolutist cause and a severe setback for Portuguese liberalism. It re-established absolutist rule in Portugal for a period, though the political tensions between liberals and absolutists continued to simmer, eventually leading to the Patuleia (April Uprising) in 1828 and the devastating Portuguese Civil War (1828–1834) between Miguel and his elder brother Pedro.