Francisco Oller Simón
Francisco de Paula Oller Simón | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1860 Barcelona, Spain |
| Died | 1940 |
| Occupation(s) | Publisher, political activist |
| Known for | Proprietor and director of Traditionalist publications El Legitimista Español and España; Carlist envoy for South America |
Francisco de Paula Oller Simón (1860–1940) was a Spanish-Argentine publisher and advocate of Carlism. He gained prominence as the proprietor and director of significant Traditionalist publications, particularly El Legitimista Español (1898–1912) and España (1915–1929), both issued in Buenos Aires. In Spain, he briefly published Carlist journals in Barcelona from 1889 to 1892, overseeing the Biblioteca Tradicionalista press and producing numerous propagandistic books and pamphlets. Between 1898 and 1912, he acted as the principal Carlist envoy for South America.
Family and youth
The Oller family name, likely of French origin, first appeared in Catalan documents dating back to the 11th century; however, little information exists about Francisco Oller’s more distant forebears. His paternal grandparents were Manuel Oller from Barcelona and Rosa Pallarol from San Vicente dels Horts, whom their grandson described as belonging to a “modest family.” Their son, Manuel Oller Pallarol (1810–1888), had an irregular secondary education and reached the middle social class, although his profession remains unspecified. Parish records identify him as a “propietario,” and he possessed enough resources to support legitimist and Catholic causes, co-founding several Catholic and Carlist groups in Barcelona. During the Third Carlist War, his assets were seized due to his financial backing of the Carlist faction. He married Concepción Simón Ramonich (1824–1883), also a native of Barcelona.
It is unclear how many children Manuel and Concepción had or whether Francisco had siblings; only Francisco is explicitly mentioned in his father’s obituary. The family was deeply religious, and Francisco was brought up with strong Carlist beliefs. At ten years old, he joined the Ateneo Católico-Monárquico, an organization co-founded by his father. After several attempts, he enlisted in legitimist forces at fourteen during the Third Carlist War, serving under Ceferino Escola in the defense of Seo de Urgel before being captured holding the rank of alférez. Afterwards, he returned to schooling in Barcelona and completed his bachillerato studies by the late 1870s. In 1880, he avoided compulsory military service by paying a substitution fee of 2,000 pesetas.
In 1881 in Havana, Oller wed Carmen Anguis Carmona (1868-?), although details about her origins or how they met remain unknown. By 1883, they lived in Barcelona where Oller joined the editorial team of the Catalan-language Carlist weekly Lo Crit de la Patria, owned by Antonio Quintana of La Propaganda Catalana publishing house. While some accounts credit Oller with founding or managing this weekly from the early 1880s, recent studies indicate he took over management somewhat later. The couple had at least one daughter, Concepción Oller Anguis, born in the late 1880s; she later married Juan Manuel Amoedo in Buenos Aires. Oller’s granddaughter, Concepción Amoedo Oller, became an Argentine citizen.
Spain (1883-1892)
Following an unsuccessful attempt to secure a seat on the Diputación Provincial of Barcelona in 1886, Oller concentrated on Carlist propaganda efforts. He authored La España Carlista (1885), a collection of polemical essays concerning the Third Carlist War, as well as several prologues and a French translation. In 1887, he assumed control of Lo Crit de la Patria, turning it into a vigorous Carlist propaganda platform that criticized Madrid governments. Internal disputes emerged in 1888 when the Integrist faction split; Oller halted his collaboration and eventually left the publication to maintain loyalty to King Carlos VII.
In 1888, Oller faced legal prosecution for articles lauding Carlos de Borbón and denouncing Prime Minister Sagasta, resulting in two sentences totaling seven months imprisonment alongside a fine of 4,000 pesetas. He served time from June 1888 until January 1889 and later published Mis prisiones under the pseudonym J. Génova. After his release, he was invited by the claimant to Venice where he reaffirmed his political allegiance.
In 1889, Oller established Biblioteca Tradicionalista (BT) in Barcelona. BT launched two periodicals: the weekly Lo Crit d’Espanya, which continued its predecessor’s militant stance, and the monthly illustrated magazine El Estandarte Real, focusing on politico-military themes related to Carlist history with approximately 2,000 subscribers. In 1891, BT introduced the satirical publication La Carcajada. All these outlets maintained high graphic quality under artistic director Paciano Ross. BT also produced large portraits of Carlos VII and his family for circulation within Carlist circles.
Between 1889 and 1892, BT issued around twenty titles including ideological treatises, historical works, poetry collections, and military manuals authored by figures such as Ramiro Fernández Valbuena, Joaquín Llorens, Modesto Hernández Villaescusa, José de Liñán, and Reynaldo Brea. Oller’s most notable work was Album de personajes carlistas, a comprehensive 600-page compilation containing seventy-five biographies written by him with illustrations by Ross. Initially published by Quintana for volumes one and two, Oller acquired rights and released volume three through BT in 1890. Despite some omissions, it remains an important historiographical reference.
Financial collapse
Biblioteca Tradicionalista (BT) was a prominent publishing firm producing three periodicals alongside numerous books, yet its commercial achievements were modest. At that period, it contended with two other Carlist publishers in Barcelona: La Hormiga de Oro (Luis Llauder) and La Biblioteca Regional (Josep Font Fargas, Joan M. Roma). BT’s periodicals had circulation figures ranging from 500 to 2,000 copies, which barely sufficed to sustain financial stability. Despite diversifying its operations—such as distributing Rafael Díez de la Cortina’s language instruction method—its profits remained limited.
Oller attributed his financial struggles to unfulfilled commitments of monetary backing from several supporters, leaving him "abandoned by his own, without aid or assistance." He also encountered adversarial administrative actions including censorship and substantial fines; notably, a penalty of 4,000 pesetas equated to the yearly earnings of a junior university professor at that time. In 1891, the claimant Carlos VII prohibited the establishment of new Carlist periodicals in Barcelona to alleviate competition for Oller. It is reported that Oller exhausted nearly all his inheritance in maintaining the enterprise, but ultimately the funds were depleted. By 1892, BT either ceased operations or was sold at a low price. Alfonso Carlos extended a personal loan of 2,000 pesetas; however, it arrived too late to prevent the collapse.
The shutdown of BT received scant attention within Carlist media circles—apart from a brief mention by Reynaldo Brea in political biographies—while republican outlets welcomed the cessation of all three periodicals. Republicans ridiculed Oller upon learning about his intended emigration. In 1892, after liquidating most of his assets, he reportedly departed Spain with only two pounds sterling. The motives behind his move to Argentina remain uncertain; whether it was an attempt to evade debts has not been confirmed. In October 1892, Oller and his family embarked on the Italian liner Perseo, arriving in Buenos Aires approximately three weeks later. Among his possessions were wartime memorabilia including a Remington rifle and a red beret.
Argentina: formative years (1892-1908)
Shortly following his arrival in Buenos Aires, Oller secured employment at Casa de Comercio, a position he retained for sixteen years. The financial conditions throughout the 1890s were difficult, further complicated by ongoing medical expenses related to his wife’s health. Nevertheless, Oller remained active in literary circles; in 1896 his historiographic pamphlet España en el mundo received first prize at the Juegos Florales del Centro Unión Obrera Española, and in 1897 he published Certamen Franciscano Literario y Artístico, associated with a local Franciscan cultural festival. Supported by Francisco Melgar and claimant Carlos VII—who appointed him as the Southern American representative—Oller founded the Comisión Central de Propaganda Carlista en la América del Sud, establishing branches in Uruguay, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, and Ecuador.
In 1898 Oller launched El Legitimista Español, initially issued biweekly and later monthly; it produced 174 editions before ceasing publication in 1912. Typically comprising four pages or more, it was officially directed by Luis Mas Nadal—the son of Oller’s former military commander—but scholars agree that Oller was the principal driving force behind the publication; he formally assumed directorship in 1908. The newspaper enjoyed favorable reception within Carlist circles; Don Jaime even sent greetings from Warsaw. Although Oller aspired to open offices throughout South America, El Legitimista remained based in Buenos Aires with approximately 300 subscribers and sales nearing 2,500 copies per issue. It upheld a traditional Carlist ideology—initially subtitled “periodica carlista,” later changed in 1909 to “periodico tradicionalista”—in contrast to the Argentina-centered El Correo Español.
During the early 20th century, Oller established or co-founded Centro de Publicidad Universal Lux, a Buenos Aires publishing company that assumed control over El Legitimista and briefly published La Hispano-Argentina, a culturally focused Catholic periodical with Carlist inclinations. Centro de Publicidad Universal evolved into a prosperous venture; its headquarters along with those of El Legitimista were relocated to Avenida Belgrano 1658 within Buenos Aires’s financial district. This venue housed a retail outlet offering books, tobacco products, perfumes, pharmaceuticals, and various other items. It also served as a hub for numerous social gatherings organized by Oller—including lectures and celebrations—that occasionally attracted crowds of up to two hundred attendees.
Argentina: peak and turmoil (1908-1912)
By the dawn of the 20th century, Centro Universal had established itself as a notable entity under Oller's guidance. He rose to prominence within Buenos Aires' conservative Spanish circles, taking leadership as president of Juventud Católica and inaugurating the bookstore La Enciclopedia. In 1907, he co-authored Manual práctico de cálculos mercantiles, showcasing his proficiency acquired from Casa de Comercio and academic pursuits at the University of Buenos Aires. With a focus on commercial law, Oller completed his degree in 1908, presenting a thesis titled Libros de comercio, and began promoting his services as “Francisco P. de Oller. Abogado”.
That same year, Oller initiated Empresa Edificadora Villa Loredán SA to develop the Carlist-themed community Villa Loredán, named after Carlos VII’s Venetian palace. The endeavor sought to establish a community unified by ideology, featuring streets commemorating Carlist figures. Although formally constituted with Oller as acting president, the venture struggled financially, relying heavily on share subscriptions. By late 1909, citing “unforeseen and insurmountable obstacles,” the company was dissolved. The project was scaled back; in 1910, El Legimista promoted land parcels in Villa España near Buenos Aires, planning estates called Villa Loredán and Villa Jaime III, yet these plans never progressed beyond a street initially named "calle Carlos VII," which was renamed "calle 152" in 1961.
In 1912, further difficulties arose when a Carlist exhibition at Oller’s bookstore triggered opposition from Buenos Aires’ Spanish community, escalating to threats of damage. Authorities reportedly mandated the exhibition’s removal. Following this incident, El Legitimista ceased publication temporarily to safeguard the legitimist cause across America. This episode likely impacted Oller’s legal practice, leading him to relocate his office to a less prominent location. Additionally, that year he stepped down as Don Jaime’s representative for South America.
Argentina: later period (1912-1940)
Post-1912, Oller took a three-year hiatus from overseeing periodicals before assuming control of España in 1915, a struggling magazine founded by Spanish immigrants. He repositioned it as a “revista patriótica española,” targeting Spaniards residing in South America rather than promoting an overtly Carlist agenda. Despite operating from a less central venue, the monthly publication persisted for fourteen years. During World War I, it briefly adopted the subtitle “Revista hispano-germanófila,” reflecting Oller’s pro-German Empire stance and opposition to Britain. In 1917, he briefly revived El Legitimista under the title “periódico Jaimista,” but only five editions were released before discontinuation due to shifting political dynamics.
In 1918, Oller secured Argentine citizenship, likely connected to his role as notary at age 58. He maintained communication with prominent Spanish Carlist leaders, particularly Jaime de Orbe, barón de Montevilla, who inherited Oller’s Carlist legacy according to his will. During the mid-1920s, Orbe coordinated subscriptions for an elaborate homage volume published in 1928 that deeply affected Oller. By this time, declining health and family hardships—possibly related to his son-in-law’s death and his daughter’s isolation—contributed to the closure of España in 1929. Nevertheless, he launched the political-literary journal Monarquía Española in 1931; it ceased publication by 1932.
Throughout the Spanish Civil War, Oller supported the Nationalist faction with emphasis on their Traditionalist wing. He issued two propaganda pamphlets inspired by his 1928 homage book: Dios-Patria-Rey. Laureles a Un Carlista (1936) and Dios-Patria-Rey. Más Laureles a Un Carlista (1937). In 1938 he founded Boletín Tradicionalista, which continued after his passing, and briefly published El Requeté. Oller opposed Franco’s 1937 Unification Decree, underscoring the unique Carlist identity of “soldados de la Fe, Cruzados de Cristo.” As a result, Falange Española Tradicionalista regarded him with suspicion. In 1939 he participated in Buenos Aires ceremonies honoring Carlist Mártires de la Tradición, where an empty seat was reserved for a representative from the Spanish government.
See also
Further reading
- Jordi Canal, De Barcelona a Buenos Aires (1889-1898): Francisco de Paula Oller, la propaganda carlista y la fundación de El Legitimista Español, included in Pasado y Memoria 26 (2023), pp. 76–100
- Jordi Canal, Díos, Patria, Rey: carlismo y guerras carlistas, Madrid 2024,
- Jordi Canal, El carlisme català dins l'Espanya de la Restauració: un assaig de modernització política (1888-1900), Vic 1998,
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