Maurici de Sivatte i de Bobadilla () (1901–1980) was a Spanish Carlist politician. He is known as leader of Catalan Carlism in two separate strings, briefly in the early 1930s and then in the decade of the 1940s. He is also recognized as the moving spirit behind RENACE, a Traditionalist splinter faction set up in 1958.
Family and youth
The Sivatte family originated from France and was related to the Provençal town of La Colle; its members were already recorded in the 17th century.César Alcalá, D. Mauricio de Sivatte. Una biografía política (1901-1980), Barcelona 2001, , p. 9 André de Sivatte was the first to settle in Spain; in the early 19th century he served first as a French customs officerJaume Aymar i Ragolta, Francesos, afrancesats, carlins i comerciants: els Sivatte-Vilar de Calonge, [in:] Estudis de Baix Empordá 18 (1999), p. 140 and later as official in the French consulate in Barcelona; he married a Spaniard from Calonge.Alcalá 2001, p. 9. Her father opposed the marriage, which was anyway concluded in 1811, Aymar i Ragolta 1999, pp. 140-141 Their son and Maurici's paternal grandfather, Edmundo Félix Sivatte i Vilar, was born already in the Catalan capital,little is known about himself; he is noted as member of the so-called Liga antiabolicionista, which opposed abolition of slavery in Spanish overseas territories, compare Participación de Catalanes en la trata de negros y su posterior esclavización en la isla de Cuba, [in:] elpregonero service, available here though it is rather his wife, María de las Mercedes de Llopart y Xiqués, who became recognized as active in Catholic charity organizations.she co-founded the Obrador de la Sagrada Familia union and the Reverendo José Morgaded y Gili foundation; she also commissioned the altarpiece of San Benito chapel in the Montserrat basilica, Alcalá 2001, p. 9 Their son and Maurici's father, Manuel Josép María de Sivatte i Llopart (1865-1931), worked as a Barcelona lawyerhe studied foreign languages in the Austrian Feldkirch to complete his education by graduating in law in Madrid, Aymar i Ragolta 1999, pp. 145-149 and grew to one of the leaders of the Catalan Carlism: he was president of Círculo Tradicionalista de Barcelona, member of Junta Provincial de Barcelona and Junta Regional de Cataluña.Alcalá 2001, p. 10 In recognition of his merits, in 1899 the claimant conferred upon him the title of marqués de Vallbona.Alcalá 2001, pp. 10-11; none of the sources consulted indicates that Maurici claimed the title As he contributed to "La Octubrada", a series of minor Carlist revolts in different Catalan locations in October 1900, he had to flee the country. Upon his return to Spain he co-foundedtogether with Manuel de Lanza y Pignatelli, Tomás Boada y Borrell, Ramón Enrich y Albareda, Joaquín Gelabert Cuyás, Jaime Arbós Bigorra, Alcalá 2001, p. 10. He was also a shareholder and member of the board; Manuel de Llanza served as president, Tomás Boada as vicepresident and Jaime Arbós as secretary, César Alcalá, Fotografía familiar, [in:] Tradición Viva service, available here Fomento de la Prensa Tradicionalista, the company which re-launched El Correo Catalán; he was also one of major landholders in the Roquetes-Nou Barris area.in 1873 he purchased Torre Baró, the iconic castle towering over Northern Barcelona, see El castell de Torre Baró. Història i recuperació (I). Precedents i origens, [in:] L'arxiu historic de Roquetes Nou Barris blog (2014), available here, see also Mon Barcino, El Castillo de Torre Baró, [in:] Món Barcino service (2015), available here
Manuel Sivatte married Margarita de Bobadilla y Martínez de Arizala (1870-1905), also descendant to a Carlist family.Alcalá 2001, pp. 10-11 Her father and Maurici's maternal grandfather, Mauricio de Bobadilla y Escrivá de Romaní, was head of Navarrese CarlismCésar Alcalá, Fotografía familiar and served as deputy from Estella in Cortes Constituentes between 1869 and 1871,see the official Cortes service, available here later on contributing to Asamblea de Vevey and siding with Carlos VII during the Third Carlist War.Alcalá 2001, p. 11 Manuel and Margarita had 5 children, all brought up in fervently Catholic ambience: Manuel, Merceditas, Carles Edmund, Jaume and Maurici.Alcalá 2001, pp. 11-12 After early death of their mother it was the paternal grandmother, Mercedes Llopart, who assisted her son – married againhe married María Isabel del Valle y Lersundi, countess of Lersundi; different internet sources provide incomplete, conflicting and partially incorrect information on the two, compare rootsweb service available here or euskalnet service available here – in bringing up the children.until 1914, when he died himself, Alcalá 2001, p. 11
Following his initial education the young Maurici entered Facultad de Derecho of Universidad de Barcelona; he graduated in law in 1923Alcalá 2001, p. 11. Some sources claim that he graduated in 1925, see La Vanguardia 09.12.25, available here and joined the local Colegio de Abogados.La Vanguardia 06.07.24, available here In 1924 he married Asunción Algueró de Ugarriza (1901-1970), the native of Tarragona; they settled in family estate in the Torre Baró quarter of Barcelona.the family house was later demolished during construction of the highway and railway line; it used to stand where the Barcelona Torre del Baró railway station stands today, Alcalá 2001, p. 41 The couple had 13 children. Some of them became nuns and friars; among these, Rafael de Sivatte i Algueró made his name as scholar in biblical studies.see his books at tododtuslibros service, available here Some were active in business; the most notable one, Jaime de Sivatte i Algueró, grew to president of Asociación Nacional Española Fabricantes de Hormigón Preparado and vice-president of Asociación Nacional de Empresarios Fabricantes de Aridos.Jaime de Sivatte i Algueró, nuevo presidente de ANEFHOP, available here The grandson of Maurici Sivatte, Carlos-Javier Ram de Víu y de Sivatte, is procurador in the judicial district of Barcelona.son of Conchita Sivatte i Algueró, see procuranet service available here
Early political career Sivatte's beginnings in politics were facilitated by prestigious position of his father, who in the 1920s remained one of the leaders of local Barcelona societé.El Sol 04.04.29, available here or La Epoca 05.04.29, available here At that time Manuel de Sivatte was getting somewhat detached from mainstream Carlism. Already in 1922 he signed a manifesto declaring Alfonso XIII a prospective legitimate Traditionalist heir as the direct Carlist dynasty was already certain to extinguish;José Luis Orella Martínez, El origen del primer catolicismo social español [PhD thesis at Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia], Madrid 2012, p 256 when entering the Barcelona Diputación ProvincialLa Vanguardia 11.07.27, available here he was representing Lliga Regionalista of Francesc Cambó. By some Carlists he was considered traitor to their cause.see the opinion of comte de Valdellano quoted after Robert Vallverdú i Martí, El Carlisme Català Durant La Segona República Espanyola 1931-1936, Barcelona 2008, , 9788478260805, p. 189 Initially it was his older sons joining their father in various political initiatives.the document acknowledging Alfonso XIII was signed also by Jaime de Sivatte i Bobadilla, the older brother of Maurici, Orella Martínez 2012, p. 256
In the late 1920s also Maurici, though member of the local Circulo Jaimista, was increasingly engaged in activities of La Lliga.Alcalá 2001, p. 11 Other sources suggest he joined efforts to build a "partido católico duro", promoted by the local ecclesiastical authorities as a Catholic alliance holding together different breeds of ultraconservative, conservative and right-wing groupings.opinion of Alberto Ruiz de Galarreta quoted after Alcalá 2001, p. 23 In 1927 he was already a recognized member of the Barcelona societé, assuming prestigious roles during various local feasts.e.g. he during the funeral of duque de Solferino, La Vanguardia 21.07.27, available here In the final years of the dictatorship Maurici Sivatte got engaged in Organización Corporativa Nacional, a peculiar primoderiverista structure functioning partially as arbitrage board and partially as labor organization; he formed part of its Comité Paritario covering the cotton industry and continued with this role also in the Dictablanda period.for 1928 see La Vanguardia 11.01.28, available here, for 1930 see La Libertad 23.02.30, available here
Republic
Though in the 1920s Sivatte's links with Traditionalism remained dormant, the advent of the Republic and its militant secularism boosted his Carlist activities. Already in June 1931 he co-founded Reacción, a weekly which pledged to confront Liberal and atheist "acción demagógica, disolvente y corrosiva" by supporting traditional values."a la acción pertinaz y agotadora que conduce a borrar de nuestros hijos todo sano concepto de Patria y Familia, enfrentaremos nuestra reacción", Alcalá 2001, pp. 21-22. See also Cesar Alcalá, El Semanario Reacción (1931-19xx), [in:] Arbil 81, available here In April 1932 he unsuccessfully ran for the newly established Catalan parliament, standing in Girona and forming part of Coalició Católica Gironina alliance.dominated mostly by La Lliga, Vallverdú 2008, p. 117 Once three Traditionalist branches united in Comunión Tradicionalista, Sivatte got engaged in its propaganda works. In May 1932 he formed part of comisión providing financial support to Semana Tradicionalista, though he was not noted as one of the speakers himself.Alcalá 2001, p. 20, Vallverdu 2008, p. 101 In June he contributed to opening of Circulo Central Tradicionalista in Barcelona and became its vice-president,Vallverdú 2008, p. 136 later growing to full presidency;Vallverdú 2008, p. 262 following a related Carlist manifestation he was briefly detained by the authorities.Alcalá 2001, p. 21