"Mendizábal" by Benito Pérez Galdós is a historical novel written in 1898. The twenty-second installment of the National Episodes series centers on Spain's controversial Desamortization period of 1835-1836, when the progressive government seized and auctioned church properties. Young romantic Fernando Calpena navigates this turbulent era alongside memorable companions including an enlightened cleric and Aura, an intelligent free-spirited woman. The novel dramatizes a pivotal moment in Spanish history through personal stories interwoven with political upheaval and social transformation. (This is an automatically generated summary.)