Manuel de Llanza y de Pignatelli de Aragón, Hurtado de Mendoza y Esquivel, 9th Duke of Solferino, 11th Marquis of Coscojuela,artistocratic titles in sequence quoted after Diputacion Permanente y Consejo de la Grandeza de Espana y Titulos del Reino service, available here 13th Count of Centelles, grandee of Spain (1858–1927) was a Spanish Carlist politician. In the late 19th century he emerged as one of party leaders in Catalonia and was its regional jefe in two separate strings of 1910–1914 and 1917–1919. He is recognized as typical example of inner-circle aristocrat ruling the party during the Restoration period.

Family and youth

The Llanzas are one of the oldest families in Catalonia, recorded already in the 12th century.La Hormiga de Oro 21.07.27, available here In the early 17th century one of its branches settled at a large pairal estateCesar Alcalá, Intervención de soldados catalanes en el Saqueo de Roma, [in:] Arbil 85, available here in Vilassar de Mar.Francesc Llança de Sant Julià d’Alfou married Maria-Anna Eroles, descendant to a family holding the estate since the 13th century, Can Maians entry, [in:] Museu Arxiu de Vilassar de Dalt service, available here Its descendant and Manuel's paternal grandfather, Rafael de Llanza i de Valls (1772–1833),his biography in Iltre. Sr. D. Rafael de Llanza y de Valls, Mataró 1892 made a very picturesque figure during the Napoleonic period. His military careerhe rose to the rank of tinent coronel, David Galí, Raquel Lacuesta, Marta Piera, El Palau dels Comtes i la formació de la vila de Centelles, Centelles 2014, p. 55 was extremely windy: first he fought against the French (in Catalonia), then as a French ally against the English (in Galicia and Portugal), the Austrians (in Italy) and the Prussians (in Pomerania and Denmark), was incarcerated for attempt to join national anti-French rising of 1808, as a volunteer reached Moscow and ended up in the army of Ferdinand VII.Roberto de Llanza, El ‘Itinerario’ de don Rafael de Llanza, [in:] Boletín de la Real Academia de Buenas Letras de Barcelona 26 (1955-1956), pp. 235-282, available here His diary provides excellent first-hand insight into the plight of Spanish troops in Russia.Rafael de Llanza y de Valls, Un español en el ejercito de Napoleon, Madrid 2008,

Rafael's son and Manuel's father, Benito Llanza y de Esquivel (1822–1863),some sources claim he died in 1867, Casimir Martí, L'orientació de Pi i Margall cap el socialisme i la democrácia. La correspondencia entre Pi i Margall i el duc de Solferino (1846-1865), [in:] Recerques: Història, economia i cultura, 3 (1974), p. 156 initially also served in the army.and reached the rank of commandante, Galí, Lacuesta, Piera 2014, p. 55 However, he became known as high official of Ministerio de Instrucción Pública in successive Narváez governments,Catáleg del fons Benet de Llanza i Esquivel, Barcelona 2007, p. 3, available here. According to the same source he served as a senator, but the official Senate website does not confirm this, compare here member of intellectual elite and engaged in disputes with the likes of Pablo Piferrer, Joan Mañé i Flaquer, Francesc Pi i Margall, Manuel Milà i Fontanals and Manuel Tamayo y Baus. Himself he tried his hand in lettershe wrote two dramas: Centellas y Moncada and Adriana Borgia, Martí 1974, p. 156 and was also co-founder of l’Acadèmia Provincial de Belles Arts de Barcelona.Galí, Lacuesta, Piera 2014, p. 55 In 1849 he married Maria de la Concepción Pignatelli de Aragón y Belloni (1824-1858),see María de la Concepción Pignatelli Belloni y Moncayo, IX Duquesa de Solferino entry at Geni genealogical service, available here duchess of Solferino and condesa de Centelles, descendant to a family originating from Italyher great-grandfather (and Manuel's great-great-grandfather), Giovanni Anastasio Pignatelli, was the first of the family who settled in Spain, Valentina Fernández Vargas, Memoria de mujeres en el callejero de Madrid, Madrid 2004, p. 141, available here and heiress to enormous land fortune in Aragon. Politically close to the Moderadoshe broke with Pi y Margall after the latter declared himself a socialist, Martí 1974, p. 157 he probably aspired to political career, thwarted by his premature death.Martí 1974, p. 159

The couple had 5 children: Manuel was born as the younger one of two sons. Little is known about his childhood, except that he was very early orphaned by both parents; since his older brother died in infancy,Santiago Broto Aparicio, La noble casa aragonese de los Condes de Fuente, [in:] Diario del Elto Aragón 11.01.04, available here he inherited all aristocratic titles and the family fortune at the age of 10.Faustino Menendez Pidal de Navascues (ed.), Anales de la Real Academia Matritense de Heráldica y Genealogía, vol. 10, Madrid 2007, , p. 281, La Hormiga de Oro 21.07.27, available here Together with sisters he was raised by paternal uncle, Rafael Llanza y Esquivel, who unlike his brother was a vehement Carlist.César Alcalá, Fotografía familiar, [in:] Tradición Viva service 2010, available here, engaged in party propaganda since 1868, B. de Artagan [Reynaldo Brea], Politicos del carlismo, Barcelona 1913, p. 110; he was deputy to the Cortes in 1872, see the official Cortes service available here. In 1872, shortly before outbreak of the Third Carlist War, he was deputy president of Barcelona Junta Provincial Católico-Monárquica, La Regeneracion 02.03.72, available here The family left Spain following declaration of the Republic and returned in 1876;Galí, Lacuesta, Piera 2014, p. 58 Manuel enrolled in law at Universidad de Barcelona and graduated at unspecified time in the late 1870s.Alcalá 2010, Artagan 1913, p. 108; he did not practice as lawyer and hired professionals when involved in juridical disputes, e.g. when contending the title of duque de Monteleon, see El Globo 08.06.00, available here In 1881 he married Maria Asunción de Bobadilla y Martínez de Arizala (1861-1898),Anales de la Real Academia... 2007, p. 281 gives the wrong date of 1908; for correct information see Hormiga de Oro 22.11.98, available here descendant to a wealthy Navarrese family; her father, Mauricio de Bobadilla y Escrivá de Romaní, was head of Navarrese CarlismCésar Alcalá, D. Mauricio de Sivatte. Una biografía política (1901-1980), Barcelona 2001, , p. 10-11 and served as deputy from Estella in Cortes Constituentes between 1869 and 1871.see the official Cortes service, available here The couple settled in Solferino's palace in Barcelona.for details see Armand de Fluvia i Escorsa, Itziar Gonzalez Virós, Pere Vivas, El Pallau Centelles, Barcelona 2002, , available here They had 7 children, born between 1884 and 1895.Anales de la Real Academia... 2007, pp. 281-2 The oldest son, Luis Gonzaga de Llanza y de Bobadilla, inherited the ducado and together with his brother Francisco became active in Catalan Carlism,in the early 20th century Luis was president of the Barcelona Circulo Obrero Tradicionalista, later on becoming member of Junta Provincial; he also served as president of Juventud Tradicionalista of Barcelona; Francisco was active in Circulo Obrero Tradicionalista of Horta, Artagan 1913, p. 111 though none of them grew into prominence as a politician.they are not mentioned a single time in Robert Vallverdú i Martí, El Carlisme Català Durant La Segona República Espanyola 1931-1936, Barcelona 2008,

Early political activity

As a grandee of Spain Solferino was welcome in Carlismit is estimated that some 170 members of Spanish aristocracy (i.e. some 12% of the total) supported Carlos VII, Julio V. Brioso y Mayral, La nobleza titulada española y su adhesión a Carlos VII, [in:] Aportes 1 (1986), pp. 13-27 and the party propaganda took advantage of his name as early as in 1872.the 1872 letter from the claimant to the Pope, giving reasons for going to war and presenting the Carlist cause, listed Solferino among the Spanish nobles adhering; with the same purpose he was mentioned in post-war propaganda booklets, compare Agustín Fernández Escudero, El marqués de Cerralbo (1845-1922): biografía politica [PhD thesis], Madrid 2012, pp. 26, 42 Initial Solferino's engagement in Carlism, politics and public life was very much formatted along the Integrist pattern. In the aftermath of military defeat, suffered in 1876, the party was dominated by Cándido Nocedal. The former neocatólico shaped Carlism as focused almost exclusively on religious threads and intended to maintain public mobilization by means of Catholic initiatives. Key element of this strategy were massive semi-political pilgrimages.Fernández Escudero 2012, p. 51-53; some authors claim that the pilgrimage was already an attempt to launch an all-Catholic ultraconservative party, Javier Real Cuesta, El Carlismo Vasco 1876-1900, Madrid 1985, , pp. 112-12 The first one took place in October 1876, with almost 6,000 pilgrims reaching Rome; Solferino was listed as one of the most prestigious participants.La Epoca 27.10.78, available here Similarly, he took part in the next pilgrimage to Rome of 1878.La Epoca 21.10.78, available here In 1881 his position changed from prestigious participant to one of the organizers, as he emerged as treasurer of Junta Organizativa de Barcelona of the next pilgrimage, planned for 1882La Epoca 15.01.82, available here and finally called off due to political reasons.most likely due to lukewarm approach of Leo XIII, unwilling to get trapped in Spanish politics, see Fernández Escudero 2012, pp. 52, 56

In the 1880s Solferino was extremely active in pilgrimage activities, many of them also marked with Nocedalista political undertones; as organizer he appeared hand-in-hand with iconic Integrist figures like Félix Sardá y Salvany.La Unión 03.06.83, available here or El Siglo Futuro 12.03.85, available here Though re-launch of the aborted 1882 visit to Rome, attempted as late as 1885, did not work out, Solferino was arranging smaller-scale pilgrimages to Catalan sanctuaries like in 1886 to MontserratLa Unión 07.04.86, available here or to foreign ones like in 1887 to Lourdes;El Siglo Futuro 31.05.87, available here in 1887 he was formally appointed member of the bishop commission, entrusted with co-ordination of pilgrimage activities.La Dinastía 14.01.87, available here Already in 1877 listed as member of Junta Directiva of the Barcelona branch of Juventud Católica,El Siglo Futuro 20.01.77, available here. For overview of the organisation, see Chiaki Watanabe, La Juventud Católica Española. Orígenes y primer desarrollo, [in:] Espacio, Tiempo y Forma 8 (1995), pp. 133-134 in the mid-1880s he grew to Catalan presidency of the organization.La Epoca 17.01.87, available here Hosting bishops in his private residence,La Dinastía 16.10.88, available here he donated money to Catholic initiatives.like erecting monument to bishop José María Benito Serra in 1887, see El Siglo Futuro 27.01.87, available here Listed as active in clearly Carlist enterprises like erecting monument to Zumalacarregui (in 1883)El Siglo Futuro 19.02.83, available here or commemorating fallen Carlists (in 1888)El Siglo Futuro 12.03.88, available here he was acknowledged as organizer also by civil administration: in 1887 mayor of Barcelona appointed him to commission coordinating charity activities.La Dinastía 07.06.87, available here