The passport displayed here, issued to the Spanish diplomat Tomás de Ligués y Bardají, Marquis de Alhama (1812 – 1883), bears the signature of the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Édouard Drouyn de Lhuys (1805 – 1881), dated December 20, 1854. At that time, de Ligués served as the chargé d’affaires at the Spanish embassy in Paris. A highlight of this document is the vibrant coat of arms of the Second French Empire.

France considered the Kingdom of Spain within its sphere of influence, driven by various political and economic interests. Economic integration was facilitated by French capital and technical support, including the deployment of French engineers for railway construction, thus forging a close bond between Spain and its northern neighbor. Politically and strategically, Spain held great importance for France. The French government envisioned Spain, then aligned with both France and Great Britain, as a junior partner expected to provide auxiliary services. To counterbalance France’s overwhelming influence and secure greater autonomy, the Spanish government increasingly sought closer ties with Great Britain.

Tomás de Ligués y Bardají, Marquis de Alhama (* October 25, 1812; † April 1, 1883, in Madrid) was a Spanish diplomat.

Tomás de Ligués y Bardají negotiated with Spanish Morocco. On April 26, 1860, he signed a treaty of peace and friendship with Sidi Mohamed el Jetib, Foreign Minister of Sidi Muhammad IV, and Sid el Hach Ajimad Chabli Ben Abd el Melek, which was used to support Spain’s territorial claim over Melilla.

In 1856, the Spanish government established diplomatic relations with the German Confederation in Frankfurt am Main. From 1864 to 1866, Tomás de Ligués y Bardají served as an envoy in Frankfurt am Main. Starting in 1876, he represented Navarra as a senator in the Cortes.

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