Luis Hernando de Larramendi Ruiz (September 27, 1882 – 1957) was a Spanish Carlist politician and theorist. Though his term as a party jefe was rather short (1919-1921), he stands out as monumental figure in history of the 20th-century Carlism, remaining among its leaders for some 40 years and taking part in decision-making process from the mid-1910s until the mid-1950s. As author he is recognized for his 1937 work, El sistema tradicional, an orthodox lecture of Traditionalism.
Family and youth
Luis’ paternal family was related to Old Castile; one of his ancestors gained recognition as member of the Cura Merino unit, fighting the French during the War of Independence; he served under the same commander also during the First Carlist War.Ignacio Hernando de Larramendi, Así se hizo MAPFRE. Mi tiempo, Madrid 2000, , pp. 35-36 Later on the family found itself on the descendant path and Luis’ grandparents were referred to as "laboradores modestos".Larramendi 2000, p. 35 His father, Mariano Hernando Ruiz (1861-1913),La Corresppondencia de España 30.11.13, available here originated from Riaza in the province of Segovia; he studied medicine but upon graduating has never practiced;Larramendi 2000, p. 27 instead, he made a living by trading arts, mostly paintings and sculptures.Larramendi 2000, p. 36; he tried his hand also in photography, see Industria y Invenciones 16.12.89, available here Heavily engaged in preparing the Spanish pavilion for the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1889, apart from presenting artL’Espagne. Exposition historique de Madrid, Paris 1894, p. 307, available here he also co-ordinated works related to construction of a bullring in the Trocadero park.Le Figaro 03.07.89, available here He has never made it to the affluent bourgeoisie strata and back in Madrid suffered financial problems,Larramendi 2000, p. 28 living first at Calle Ancha de San Bernardo and then at Calle Lista.now named Calle Ortega y Gasset Mariano Hernando married Maria Cuadrado, with whom he had 3 children. Upon her premature death he remarried with Luisa Larramendi Serrano, also a madrileña though of Alavese origins.Larramendi 2000, p. 36 The couple had 6 children, Luis born as the oldest of the siblings and the only son.Larramendi 2000, p. 37
The young Luis was first educated at the Madrid Instituto de San Isídro, a prestigious Jesuit establishment with long distinguished record; it is there where he got his baccalaureate and where he made acquaintances, some of them later public figures like Luis Urquijo, marqués de Amurrio.Larramendi 2000, p. 28 However, it is also at the college where despite his penchant for letters he ran into problems with the teacher of Retórica y Poética, resulting in Luis’ later lukewarm attitude towards the Jesuits and formal education.Larramendi 2000, pp. 28-29 At unspecified date he entered Facultad de Derecho at Universidad de Madrid;Larramendi 2000, p. 28 not averse towards bohemian lifestyle, he befriended the likes of Alejandro Sawa and Ramón Valle Inclán.Larramendi 2000, p. 27-28 Date of graduation is not known, apart that it was prior to 1905; at that time he was already practicing law as an intern,Larramendi 2000, p. 46 to open his own law office later on. In honor of his maternal family Luis got his name changed from Hernando y Larramendi to Hernando de Larramendi y Ruiz.Larramendi 2000, p. 35
During his academic years Larramendi met a sister of his university colleague Mariano de Montiano,Mariano has later set up a bookstore in Bilbao, named Libreria Montiano, Larramendi 2000, p. 39 María de Montiano y Uriarte (1886-1976),see Montiano entry, [in:] Euskalnet service, available here originating from Bilbao.Larramendi 2000, p. 28 Daughter of a physician,Larramendi 2000, p. 37 descendant to a noble prestigious familythe Montiano family originated from Villasana del Mena and was noted in history of Bilbao already in the 16th century; its representatives held most prestigious positions in the 18th century, the best known of them general and governor of Florida, Manuel de Montiano y Sopelana and considered the most handsome girl in the city,Larramendi 2000, p. 37 she was also fanatically Basque.in pre-Nationalist Sabiñan terms, in her case also strongly flavored with racism; she could list 240 names of her Basque ancestors, Larramendi 2000, p. 37 They married at unspecified time, though prior to 1904;their first child was born 1904, ABC 27.05.07, available here he tended to be quiet and unassuming, she was also introvert, but of a decisive and bold character.Larramendi 2000, p. 27 The couple settled at Calle Valázquez;Larramendi 2000, p. 38 they had 9 children, 6 boys and 3 girls.see Montiano entry, [in:] Euskalnet service, available here The oldest son, Ignacio Hernando de Larramendi, became known nationwide as longtime manager and the moving spirit behind MAPFRE, a corporate insurance giant; other children did not grow to prominence nationwide.one son became a Ministry of Justice official, another settled as a physician in Chicago and another was a publisher, Larramendi 2000, p. 40 Luis' grandson, Luis Hernando de Larramendi y Martínez, took part in numerous Carlist activities of the early 21st century.see e.g. Juan Beltrán, Larramendi carlista de raza, [in:] La Razón 20.11.11, available here
Early public career (prior to 1912)
Mariano Hernando was not a Carlist;Larramendi 2000, p. 35 it was thanks to the influence of his paternal grandfather that during his childhood and youth Luis embraced Carlism.Larramendi 2000, p. 46 When at the university he befriended a number of Traditionalist-minded students like conde Rodezno, conde de Doña MarinaLarramendi 2000, p. 28 and Rafael Díaz Aguado Salaberry;Larramendi 2000, p. 29 together with them in the first decade of the 20th century he was active in Juventud Carlista and Congregación de los Luises, a Jesuit youth organization.Larramendi 2000, p. 47 In 1904 he was briefly editor-in-chief of an ephemeral Carlist daily El Correo de Guipúzcoa, though it is not clear whether he lived in San Sebastián at that time.Larramendi 2000, pp. 31, 46 In Madrid he gained recognition in 1905 becoming secretary of Sección de Ciencias Historicas of Ateneo de Madrid,Diario Oficial 06.06.05, available here though principally as a young and successful lawyer, involved in cases gaining wider publicity.when working as an intern in the office of prestigious Republican lawyer Toledano, Larramendi defended Aquilino Martínez Herrero, involved in Mateo Morral’s bombing attempt during the wedding of Alfonso XIII. He went to great lengths and possibly even not quite according to the rules, as was reprimended by the Tribunal, but managed to get his client acquitted. The case earned him prestige and respect among the Anarchists, Larramendi 2000, p. 29
When in Ateneo Larramendi embarked on Catholic propaganda, trying to confront the growing secularization tide. In 1906 he addressed Cortes with legal note, aimed against the plan to introduce civil marriages;the brochure was personally aimed against the then minister of justice, conde de Romanones, and was titled Romanones a la barra!; the campaign was co-ordinated with the bishops, Larramendi 2000, p. 47 in 1910 he published Cómo defendernos de las escuelas laicas, a booklet aimed against the concept of public, secular, free and obligatory school, launched by the republican groupings; Larramendi claimed that fathers had the right to bring up their children the way they wanted.Larramendi 2000, p. 47 Campaigning against secular education carried him as far as to Andalusia,El Siglo Futuro 09.06.10, available here though his principal battleground were various public fora of the capital; apart from the AteneoLa Epoca 08.12.11, available here he spoke also in theatresEl Siglo Futuro 27.04.12, available here and apart from education discussed also Catholic syndicalismEl Imparcial 09.12.11, available here and episodes of public blasphemy,El Siglo Futuro 27.04.12, available here soon growing to president of the Madrid branch of Juventud Jaimista.La Correspondencia de España 26.05.12, available here
In 1910 Larramendi decided to run on Traditionalist ticket for the Cortes; as he was unrelated to Asturias, it is not clear why he chose the district of Oviedo. Competing against local heavyweights like Melquíades Álvarez and José Manuel Pedregal he stood little chance and lost,La Correspondencia de España 10.05.10, available here afterwards appealing corruption and unfair deployment of Guardia Civil.Larramendi 2000, p. 48 The following year he tried his chances in local elections in Valencia; this time banking on support of local Carlists like Manuel Simó Marín and Luis Lucia, the latter running a daily Diario de Valencia; the bid proved unsuccessful.Larramendi 2000, pp. 47-48 In Madrid he engaged in launching a periodical of Traditionalist youth, which eventually materialized as Juventud – Organo de las Juventudes Tradicionalistas. Given lack of broader Carlist base in Madrid the initiative proved to be short-lived, and the weekly was issued in 1912-1913 only. Nevertheless, Larramendi was already well known among conservative youth of the capital: "quién no conoce al simpático y cultisimo Larramendi?" – asked one of the periodicals."Quién no ha leído sus originalísimos artículos, y saboreado sus libros singulares, y aplaudido entusiasmado su mágica palabra? Joven de preclaro entendimento, agudísimo ingenio, imaginación despierta y erudición vastisima", quoted after Larramendi 2000, p. 48 With ease of writing, by the mid-1910s he supplied Carlist periodicals as far as Tortosa,La Tradicion, José Navarro Cabanes, Apuntes bibliográficos de la prensa carlista, Valencia 1917, p. 259 Castellón,El Maestrazgo, Navarro Cabanes 1917, p. 269 AlicanteEl Cañon, Navarro Cabanes 1917, p. 294 and Badajoz,Pueblo Extremeño, Navarro Cabanes 1917, p. 304 let alone other titles in Madrid.El Combate, Navarro Cabanes 1917, p. 276
Rising star (1912-1919)
In the 1910s Larramendi neared the socially-minded Carlists known as the "Zaragoza group" and composed of Pascual Comín, Salvador Minguijón, Severino Aznar and Inocencio Jiménez; they animated La Paz Social periodical and the likewise named booklet series that the first Larramendi's work formed part of.Larramendi 2000, p. 50 He co-operated with their Centro de Publicaciones Católicas, fascinated by French Catholic scholars grouped around Leon Garriguet. Though he eventually failed to translate Antonin Sertillanges,to be titled Feminismo y Cristianismo, Larramendi 2000, p. 50 thanks to his work the Centro released the Spanish version of Albert Rougenant's A propos de la crise de l'Apprentissage (1911).in the Spanish version titled Patrones y obreros, Nuestro Tiempo 1911, p. 142, available here