Politician and freemason. He graduated in law. During the progressive biennium, between 1854 and 1856, he was commander of the National Militia, and in 1858 he was elected deputy to the Spanish Parliament (Cortes Españolas) to represent the Progressive Party, along with other deputies such as Práxedes Mateo Sagasta and Pascual Madoz. He went into exile to France after the revolt of the barracks of St. Gil (caserna de Sant Gil). He participated actively in the 1868 Gloriosa Revolution and took part to the provisional government of general Serrano as minister of public works (ministro de Fomento). During his tenure, he promoted the freedom of education and, in 1869, the creation of popular libraries. After the Constitution of 1869, he held the office of Minister of Justice, and in January 1870, he presided over the Spanish Parliament. 

It is at this moment that he entered Freemasonry and adopted the symbolic name of Cavour in the lodge la Mantuana of Madrid. Not long after, he became Sovereign Grand Commander and Grand Master. In 1871, as president of Parliament, he took Amadeus of Savoy’s oath as king, although he had bet on Louis I of Portugal, with the intention of achieving the Iberian union between Spain and Portugal.

Although he had been a party friend and also a staff member of Práxedes Mateo Sagasta, their political enmity throughout those years led them to lead two new parties. Zorrilla led the Radical party, and Sagasta, the Constitutional one.

Zorilla left politics after the abdication of Amadeus of Savoy, although he kept in touch with Republican leaders. With the Bourbon Restoration, he went into exile to France and Switzerland, and did not return to Spain until the year of his death, in 1895.