Editing Ferdinand VI (section)

===Reforms===
[[File:Un escudo à l'effigie de Ferdinand VI.jpg|thumb|Ferdinand VI of Spain]]
[[File:8 reales - Fernando VI - 1757.png|thumb|[[Silver coin]]: 8 reales of [[New Spain]], minted during the reign of Ferdinand VI]]
The most important tasks during the reign of Ferdinand VI were carried out by the Marquis of Ensenada, the [[Secretary of State (Ancient Regime in Spain)|Secretary of the Treasury, Navy and Indies]]. He suggested that the state help modernize the country. To him, this was necessary to maintain a position of exterior strength so that France and Great Britain would consider Spain as an ally without supposing Spain's renunciation of its claim to [[Gibraltar]].

A new model of the Treasury was suggested by Ensenada in 1749. He proposed substitution of the traditional taxes with a special tax, the [[cadastre]], that weighed the economic capacity of each contributor based on their property holdings. He also proposed a reduction of subsidies by the state to the Cortes and the army. The opposition by the nobility caused the abandonment of the project.

In 1752, the bank Giro Real was created. It favored the transfer of public and private funds outside of Spain keeping all of the foreign exchanges in the hands of the Royal Treasury, enriching the State. It is considered the predecessor to the [[Bank of Spain|Bank of San Carlos]], introduced during the reign of [[Charles III of Spain|Charles III]]. Commerce was stimulated in the Americas, in an attempt to end the monopoly in the Indies and eliminate the injustices of colonial commerce. Ferdinand leaned toward registered ships rather than fleets of ships. The new system consisted of the substitution of the fleets and galleons so that a Spanish ship, previously authorized, could conduct trade freely in the Americas. This increased revenues and decreased fraud. Even so, this system provoked many protests among merchants in the private sector.

According to Ensenada, a powerful navy was fundamental to power of an overseas empire and aspirations of being respected by France and Great Britain. He increased the navy's budget and expanded the capacity of the shipyards of [[Cádiz]], [[Ferrol, Spain|Ferrol]], [[Cartagena, Colombia|Cartagena]] and [[Havana]] which marked a commitment to extending the naval policies already underway in his predecessor's reign.

Church relations were really tense from start of the reign of Philip V because of the recognition of [[Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles of Austria]] as the King of Spain by the pope. A regalist policy was maintained that pursued as much political as fiscal objectives and whose decisive achievement was the Concord of 1753. From this the right of universal patronage was obtained from [[Pope Benedict XIV]], giving important economic benefits to the Crown and a great control over the clergy.

King Ferdinand helped create the [[Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando|Royal Academy of the Fine Arts of San Fernando]] in 1752. The noted composer [[Domenico Scarlatti]], music teacher to Queen Barbara, wrote many of his 555 [[harpsichord]] [[sonatas]] at Ferdinand's court.